The Unknown Past
by ElizabethSciuto
Summary: AU Takes Place Shortly After The End of Season 8 (Potential Spoilers Up To That Point)/ How will Elizabeth deal with her new life and the future she didn't know she had. Babyfic. Rachelfic.
1. First Day Back

Elizabeth sat alone in the cold dark kitchen. She watched the clock turn to 3:01 AM as she tapped her fingers along the countertop. _Three weeks. _She thought before she shook her head. _Three weeks since Mark died and I still feel like he's here. _She sighed before standing up and heading up the stairs in a vain attempt to get some amount of sleep. She had called Robert the week before and told him that she expected to be back that day, but she was starting to question if she'd even be able to stay awake through even a half day of surgeries. She heard a quiet babbling coming from down the hall and she smiled before quietly making her way into her daughter's room. "Hello Ella." She said quietly to her daughter who sat wide awake in her crib.

"Daddy." Ella replied indignantly.

Elizabeth looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Should we look at some pictures of daddy Ella?" She asked softly as she pulled Ella out of her crib.

"Daddy!" She replied, just as insistent as the first time.

Elizabeth nodded as they walked down the hallway to Mark's office. She cracked open the door and was assaulted by a scent she didn't know she had missed. Mark had always smelled like a combination of the hospital and their home which left a very clean vanilla scent behind. She quietly sat down at his desk chair and flicked the switch on his computer.

"Daddy!" Ella insisted this time tears beginning to fall.

"Hey now." Elizabeth said comfortingly as she kissed Ella's cheeks. "There's no use crying Ella." She said, trying to convince herself as well. Finally Mark's computer screen flickered to life displaying a background picture of their small family from the day Ella was born. "Look it's daddy." Elizabeth pointed at the screen, speaking in an almost reverent tone.

"We go?" Ella asked intently.

"Where do you want to go Ella?" Elizabeth asked her, trying to encourage her knowing that conversation from her daughter was increasingly rare these days.

"Daddy." Ella pointed at the picture as she rubbed her eyes which were pouring out tears.

Elizabeth sighed and pulled her daughter to her chest. "I'm sorry Ella, we can't go see daddy." She said softly as she stroked her daughter's blonde curls. "But your daddy was the best man I've ever known." She whispered as she kissed the top of Ella's head. She could feel Ella's breathing start to slow as she fell asleep.

Elizabeth carefully stood up, making sure not to wake up her daughter. She then walked down the hall to her bedroom where she laid Ella down in her bed before proceeding to lie down next to her daughter. "Goodnight Ella." She whispered before drifting off to sleep herself.

* * *

Elizabeth was woken up by a combination of screams and music. "Ella it's okay mummy's right here." She assured her daughter as she reached across the bed to turn of the alarm clock. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes." Ella replied firmly as she grabbed onto her mother's neck.

"Alright then sweetie." Elizabeth replied awkwardly as she tried to stand up despite the child hanging onto her. "Do you want some banana bread?" She asked her daughter hopefully, completely aware that there were at least four loaves people had brought over in the freezer.

"No pancakes." Ella replied, wrapping her fist in her mother's hair.

"Ella absolutely not." Elizabeth replied, suddenly feeling very cross. "We do not pull hair." She said as she untangled her daughter's fingers from her curls. "I don't have time to cook you pancakes so banana bread or cereal are your options." She said as she set Ella in her high chair.

"NO NO NO NO NO!" Ella screamed in response.

"Alright banana bread it is." Elizabeth said to no one in particular as she pulled a loaf from the freezer and began to defrost it in the microwave. She moved across the kitchen and pulled out the coffeemaker from the cabinet as she continued to ignore her daughter's screams.

Five minutes later they were settled at the kitchen table, Ella with a slice of banana bread and some grapes cut in half, Elizabeth with two slices of toast, a banana, and a cup of hot coffee. "Eat Ella, your babysitter will be here in twenty five minutes and then mummy's going to work."

Ella looked up, but didn't respond other than putting half a grape in her mouth.

Elizabeth was just finishing her breakfast when the phone rang. She went across the room to answer the call, "Doctor Corday." She said more crossly than was absolutely necessary.

"Lizzie, good to know you're in a good mood this morning." Robert Romano's voice rang through the phone.

"Robert." Elizabeth said, sounding more surprised than anything.

"Just wanted to make sure you are actually going to show up in an hour." Robert said matter-of-factly.

"Assuming I get off the telephone in the next few minutes, of course." Elizabeth replied, feeling annoyed that her tight schedule was being interrupted by an unnecessary phone call.

"Alright then I'll see you soon." Robert said swiftly before hanging up his line.

Elizabeth sighed and set the phone on the receiver. "Alright Miss Ella, it's time to get dressed."

"NO NO NO NO…" Ella began as Elizabeth pulled her out of her high chair.

"You don't have a choice here." Elizabeth said as she made her way up the stairs and into her own room. She set Ella down on the floor and handed her a small duck stuffed animal to keep her occupied while she took a quick shower and got dressed.

Twenty minutes later Elizabeth was ready and she was struggling with Ella to get her dressed. Getting the clothes off hadn't been a problem, getting some back on was a bigger deal. "Ella!" Elizabeth called as the toddler raced out the door of her bedroom, naked except for her diaper. "ELLA GET BACK IN HERE OR SO HELP ME…" She began as the doorbell rang. Elizabeth sighed as she watched her daughter slam the door to the master bedroom. She quickly made her way down the stairs and to the front door. "Hello." She greeted the young girl standing at her door. "You must be Sandra, Adele says you're very good with children."

"Yes I'm Sandra." She smiled.

"Come in, come in." Elizabeth said as she stood out of the doorway. "I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to meet before today but I've just been very busy."

"It's really not a problem." Sandra said kindly. "I understand it's been a stressful time."

Suddenly a shriek came from up the stairs and the sound of small feet and giggled could be heard coming from above their heads. "Excuse me." Elizabeth said quickly as she ran up the stairs to find her daughter now stark naked running into her bedroom. Sandra followed, not too closely behind. "Gotcha!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she caught her daughter as she made a loop around her dollhouse. "Now you know you have to wear clothes today." She chastised her daughter as she located a pair of pants, a shirt, and a diaper.

Sandra came in, trying not to giggle at the exasperated look on both parties faces. "If you want I can get her dressed." Sandra offered as Elizabeth strapped on the diaper.

"That's quite alright, I still need to show you around the house." Elizabeth replied as she finally finished dressing her daughter, a task that took far too much time. "Robert will understand if I'm a bit late." Elizabeth said setting Ella down on the floor.

"Hello Ella." Sandra said as she bent down to Ella's level. "I'm Sandra." Ella replied with a swift slap to Sandra's face.

"ELLA!" Elizabeth exclaimed picking her squirming daughter up and placing her into her crib. "I'm so sorry Sandra, she's usually not this ornery. She was up quite late last night."

"Don't worry about it." Sandra insisted. "I understand sometimes little ones need a bit of extra attention some days."

Elizabeth sighed from relief. "That's good… Alright there's only a few things you need to know… Ella is allowed in any room in the house except for Mark's office, which is at the end of the hallway on the left, and Rachel's room which is just inside the front door also on the left. For lunch she'll probably want a grilled cheese sandwich. She'll ask for peanut butter because that's what Rachel used to eat, but don't give it to her, peanuts give her hives. It's not a life threatening allergy, but it's bad enough to get her quite cranky. If she complains about ear pain her eardrops are in the cabinet above the microwave, start with one in each ear, if it doesn't go away in about half an hour give her another one in each ear." Elizabeth said as quickly as possible as she grabbed her purse from the coatrack by the front door. "I did write this all down, it's on the notepad attached to the fridge… The keys to the van are on top of the fridge, if you need to get ahold of me try the main ER number first, unless it's an emergency I'd really rather not be paged."

"Alright I think I've got it." Sandra replied with a smile. "If I have any questions I'll leave you a message for when you're available."

"Thank you so much." Elizabeth said quickly before making her way out the door and to the EL station, just in time to watch the train take off.

* * *

"Lizzie I thought you said you were going to be on time." Romano chastised as Elizabeth made her way into the hospital nearly an hour later than expected.

"Robert…" Elizabeth began, beginning to feel extremely stressed out by all of the commotion.

"Leave her alone." Susan interjected as she took Elizabeth's bag from her arm. "Welcome back." She greeted her with a smile. "I'll take this up to your office, and not to add to the obvious stress but we've got a trauma coming in that we could use your help on."

"Alright…" Elizabeth said shakily as she got back into the swing of things. She quickly pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and waited for instructions.

"TRAUMA ONE, FOUR NINE MILLIMETER GUNSHOTS TO THE CHEST!" Suddenly came from a paramedic as they slammed through the ER doors.

"It's good to be back." Elizabeth muttered under her breath before racing toward trauma one.

_**Author's Note: Hello All! This is the first non-NCIS fic I've posted so I hope you all like it. I've felt sort of stuck on my other stories so I'm trying to work on something else for a while. Please review!**_


	2. Something's Wrong

Elizabeth looked up at the clock in her office and was shocked to see that it was only noon. She was more exhausted than she remembered being in a long time and she hadn't even made it halfway through half of her regular work days. She sighed and laid her head down on her desk, trying not to aggravate the headache that had been ebbing its way through her skull all day.

"Elizabeth we've got an incoming trauma we could use your help on." Susan's voice suddenly assaulted her eardrums.

"I was just about to go on lunch." Elizabeth muttered as she stood up.

"If you need a break it's completely understandable." Susan tried to urge her toward taking the easy route.

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's better if I'm distracted…" She insisted.

"Elizabeth it's not good for you to hide your own stress from yourself." Susan tried again, regretting ever having come.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes before moving swiftly out of her office, Susan following behind. "What's coming in?" Elizabeth asked as they entered the elevator.

"I don't think they know exactly what's wrong but they said he was seizing." Susan explained as they arrived at the ER and saw their patient being wheeled in through the double doors.

"White male, mid-thirties, unsure of condition, neighbor called saying he was seizing. Haven't been able to come up with a cause." The paramedics said quickly as they briefed Elizabeth and Susan who quickly began working on the patient. They were trying desperately to stop the seizing and were fastening hard restraints when a woman crashed through the door.

"You can't be in here!" Abby began to attempt to escort the woman out.

"I'm his neighbor!" She cried. "He had brain surgery a month ago!" She attempted to get across.

Elizabeth froze. Susan looked up at her coworker with concern, knowing that this would hit her where nothing else could. "GET DOCTOR WEAVER IN HERE ABBY!" Susan yelled as she quickly made her way around the gurney to attempt to get Elizabeth away from the patient.

"She's with a patient…"Abby tried to explain.

"ABBY!" Susan insisted as she moved Elizabeth off to the side and sat her down.

Elizabeth looked down at her cold shaking hands. Suddenly she couldn't concentrate on anything around her and she could feel herself slipping from the pain that was reality.

Susan watched as Elizabeth slid off the stool and slammed into the linoleum floor. "ELIZABETH!" Susan screamed trying to ring her back into consciousness. "COME ON ELIZABETH IF YOU CAN HEAR ME YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!" She said as she continued to work on her patient.

Abby came running in. "Doctor Weaver says…" She began before seeing the situation in front of her.

"I NEED A NEW MEDICAL TEAM IN HERE NOW!" Susan screamed, feeling entirely overwhelmed by the situation and still attempting to ensure the safety of the seizing patient.

Abby ensured that the rest of the ER had heard Susan's call before quickly moving down to help Elizabeth. "Elizabeth…" She said gently as she softly shook her. "Elizabeth I need you to wake up…"

Things moved quickly and Doctor Weaver, Doctor Chen, and Doctor Romano ran into the trauma room.

"GET ELIZABETH OUT OF HERE!" Romano ordered quickly seeing her still lying on the ground.

"I'd love to if I could but she's out cold." Abby explained.

Doctor Chen called out into the ER. "I NEED A GURNEY AND ANOTHER NURSE!" before squatting down next to Elizabeth.

Chuney came in quickly with a gurney. "Is she alright?!" She asked quickly as she helped Abby and Jing-Mei lift Elizabeth onto the gurney.

"I'm not really sure." Abby said. "Susan was the only one in here when she passed out." She explained.

"You left her alone with a critical patient?!" Kerry asked, obviously angry.

"It was a difficult situation…" Abby tried to explain. "Elizabeth… Elizabeth started having a panic attack and we had to deal with it quickly for the safety of the patient."

"What caused it?" Kerry asked as she worked quickly with Romano and Susan to treat the patient.

"The patient had brain surgery about a month ago." Susan interrupted. "Can you guys please treat her… She needs to be taken care of." She said looking over at her once best friend's wife.

"Of course." Jing-Mei said quickly. "Abby and Chuney with me." She demanded and they moved the gurney out of the room and out into a small curtained off area in the far back corner of the ER, trying to give her as much privacy as possible.

* * *

Nearly three hours later after taking blood and sending it out to run some tests the three women were sitting waiting for something, anything, to happen.

"She shouldn't be out this long from a panic like that…" Abby said, obviously concerned.

Susan rushed in. "Is she awake?" She asked obviously extremely concerned.

"No." Abby replied.

"Jing-Mei, Doctor Weaver said she wanted to see you as soon as possible." Susan informed her before sitting down and putting her face in her hands. "She has to be alright." She muttered to herself.

Jing-Mei quickly made her way to the main desk of the ER. "Kerry…" She began as soon as she saw Doctor Weaver.

Doctor Weaver quickly pulled Susan into a side storage closet. "Have you seen Elizabeth's blood test results?" She asked urgently. Susan shook her head quickly in response. "Look." Kerry said as she handed them to her.

"No…" Susan said quietly, putting her hand over her mouth in shock. "She can't… Do we tell her?"

"Not until she's calmed down." Kerry said authoritatively. "She is going to still be extremely stressed out and there's no way she can handle this on top of everything else."

Susan nodded quietly as they exited the closet. "Susan where's Elizabeth?" Randi asked urgently.

"Uhm… she's not available… Why?" Susan replied absentmindedly.

"Her babysitter for Ella has been calling non-stop. Elizabeth was supposed to be home an hour ago and she says she needs to be in class in less than half an hour." Randi relayed the message.

"Crap." Susan said angrily slamming her fist on the counter. "I'll go." She said before calling out to Doctor Weaver. "I have to go get Ella." She said simply and she received a nod of approval from Kerry before she ran out the doors to her car.

* * *

Susan made it to the Greene/Corday residence in record time and she quickly ran up the steps and rapped on the door.

Sandra opened the door with the expectation of Elizabeth, having lost or forgotten her keys, but was surprised to see someone entirely different. "Who are you?" Sandra asked, quite awkwardly.

"I know this is an awkward situation." Susan assured her. "I'm Doctor Susan Lewis from County General." She began to explain showing Sandra her hospital ID. "Doctor Corday was unable to come home…" Susan began unsure how much information she should be telling her. "She's wrapped up in surgery." She lied almost immediately. "She couldn't get to her pager she asked me to come get Ella for her."

Sandra looked a bit surprised. "How do I know you're really…" She began to protest as Ella toddled toward the door.

"Suzy!" Ella exclaimed excitedly as she saw a familiar face.

"Hello Ella." Susan greeted her kindly. "Do you want to come back to the hospital with me?" She asked the little girl.

"Daddy?" Ella asked expectantly, knowing that when she went with mummy to the hospital it was to see daddy.

Susan felt tears coming to her eyes. "No, we'll go see mom." She said gently.

Sandra watched the scene unfold and found it convincing enough to give up her protection of the child. "Thanks so much for coming." She told Susan. "She didn't eat all of her lunch, the rest of it is in the fridge in a Tupperware container." She informed her as she grabbed her backpack and ran down the steps. "See you tomorrow Ella!" Sandra called.

"Alright Ella let's get you ready to go back to the ER to visit mommy." Susan said as she picked up the toddler in her arms.

"No." Ella said crankily.

"Is it your naptime?" Susan asked her with a smile.

Ella's eyes opened wide. "No nap!" She exclaimed suddenly.

"Well it's your lucky day because we're heading back to see mommy." Susan said as she grabbed Ella's lunch from the fridge, as well as what looked like it could make a suitable dinner for a toddler. "What toys do you want to bring?" Susan asked her as they headed up the stairs to get a change of clothes for Ella, presuming it would be a late night.

Half an hour later they were finally heading out the door. Susan loaded down with a huge, stuffed diaper bag on one arm, while the other held Ella. "I need a carseat." Susan said suddenly realizing there was no way she could take Ella back to the hospital without one. She sat there on the porch for a moment, fully aware that she had just locked herself out of the house giving her no hope for retrieving the van keys. "Alright Ella it looks like we're taking the EL."

* * *

Susan finally stumbled into the ER with a screaming Ella and a sore back. "Ella!" Romano said with a smile on his face. "What's the matter, Lewis here not give you enough attention in the car?"

"We had to take the EL." Susan said angrily, as she dropped the diaper bag behind the counter.

"You…" Romano said, looking at her sarcastically, but secretly feeling rather impressed. "Took Ella on the EL?"

"Shut up Romano." Susan said angrily. "Any update on Elizabeth?"

"Oh yeah she woke up while you were gone… But she fell back asleep." Romano replied nonchalantly.

"She woke up?!" Susan said grabbing Ella from Romano and rushing to the back corner of the ER. "Elizabeth?" Susan asked before pulling back the curtain surprised to find the gurney occupied by an elderly man. "I'm so sorry sir." Susan said awkwardly before turning around.

"Mummy?" Ella asked eagerly.

"Soon Ella… I promise we'll talk to her soon." Susan said gently before heading off to try to locate Elizabeth.

"Susan!" Abby called down a hallway.

Susan turned around. "Where's…"

"They moved Elizabeth upstairs. She's in room 245. Weaver said she wants her admitted overnight… I'm not sure why I'd assume she'd rather be at home…" Abby began rambling.

Susan just shook her head. "Thanks Abby!" she called over her shoulder as she grabbed the diaper bag and headed for the elevator.

"Mummy upstairs?" Ella asked with interest.

"Yes Ella. We're going to see mom." Susan replied with a small smile as she pushed the close door button.

_**Author's Note: Wheee Two whole chapters at once… How does that even happen!? I'm not sure! I hope you like it though! Please review!**_


	3. Something From The Past

"Ella." Elizabeth greeted her daughter softly when she felt her small hands petting her face. "How was your day sweetheart?" She asked groggily as she attempted to open her eyes.

"I played!" Ella said excitedly.

"Did you now?" Elizabeth asked, attempting desperately to keep her attention on her daughter, trying to ignore symptoms that she couldn't figure out the source for.

"Sandra was very nice when I picked Ella up." Susan affirmed. "She was a bit hesitant to give me her, but once she was sure Ella recognized me and she had seen my ID she was willing to let me take care of her."

"That's great…" Elizabeth began before she gave up on trying to control her nausea. "I'm going to be sick…" She exclaimed frantically.

Susan quickly grabbed an emesis basin and put it in front of Elizabeth so she could empty the contents of her stomach. "CAN I GET A WASH BASIN?" Susan called into the hallway and a nurse ran down the hallway with one. "Elizabeth just try to relax." Susan coaxed her gently.

"Why do I feel so sick?" Elizabeth moaned.

"Let me go grab Kerry… Will you be alright with Ella for a few minutes?" Susan asked gently as she eyed the frightened looking child sitting in the corner of the room.

"I can handle her." Elizabeth said softly, clearly unsure of herself.

Susan shook her head. "It's fine. I can take her with me." She said as she scooped down and grabbed Ella who had tears running down her face. Once they made it to the elevator Susan tried talking to Ella again. "What's the matter Ella?"

"Sick." Ella said softly.

"Do you feel sick?" Susan asked her, checking for a fever.

"Mummy." Ella replied.

"Oh she's going to be okay." Susan tried to comfort the little girl. Ella was quite precocious and was more than aware when things weren't going exactly the way they were intended to around her house. "Don't worry about it." They finally made their way into the ER and Susan confronted Weaver. "Kerry…"

"How's Elizabeth?" Kerry asked as she continued to walk.

"She's going to catch on." Susan said softly. "I think we should tell her now."

"Do you want to do it?" Kerry asked, obviously not wanting to confront the situation.

"She's Jing-Mei's patient… She could do it." Susan pointed out.

"She doesn't know." Kerry replied.

Susan looked at her obviously surprised. "You didn't give her the blood test results?"

"Do you really think that the whole ER should know before her?" Kerry replied. "You know this place feeds on gossip."

"Why don't we both…" Susan began to suggest.

"Mummy!" Ella insisted.

"Oh Ella…" Kerry said softly. "Alright let's go."

* * *

"What's wrong with me?" Elizabeth asked as she began vomiting out the remaining contents of her stomach.

"Elizabeth please try to relax." Kerry insisted gently.

"Please…." Elizabeth was begging. "I don't…"

"Elizabeth you're pregnant." Susan blurted out, after which she gasped and covered her mouth.

Elizabeth looked up in disbelief. "No… really what's wrong?" she insisted. "I can't be… There's no way I can be…"

"Elizabeth I know this is a difficult thing for you to hear." Kerry tried to comfort her.

"I can't… I can't raise another baby." Elizabeth insisted. "It's a hysterical pregnancy… it has to be…"

"No Elizabeth… You are definitely pregnant." Kerry assured her gently.

Elizabeth broke down into sobs, so many emotions rushing over her at once. She couldn't even begin to comprehend how this was going to change her future.

"Mummy!" Ella was screaming as Susan quickly took her out of the room, realizing that it was the worst place for her daughter to be.

"I can't have… a baby?" Elizabeth finally said quietly.

"Elizabeth you know that you have options." Kerry said softly as she held her hand. "If you want I can…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't… I can't get rid of it." She said softly. "It's the last thing Mark left behind… and whether or not I feel like I can take care of it…"

Kerry nodded before pulling Elizabeth into a hug, a motion that normally would have felt awkward to both parties, but in that situation seemed the only right action.

* * *

"Blue!" Ella exclaimed excitedly as she picked up a crayon and began scribbling along the paper.

"That's right Ella." Susan affirmed. She glanced at the clock, nearly eleven at night and her shift had ended several hours ago. Ella confirmed the time of night by letting out a large yawn. "Do you need to go to bed Ella?"

Ella shook her head as she yawned again.

Susan sighed, trying to figure out exactly where to take Ella to sleep. She was considering attempting to try to find an empty crib in the pediatric ward when Doctor Weaver came into the waiting room.

"Elizabeth wants to see Ella." Kerry said softly, not wanting to wake up anyone who had fallen asleep in the waiting room. "Go home."

"What about Ella…?" Susan asked, stifling back a yawn of her own.

"I'll make sure that she's taken care of." Kerry assured her. "Get some rest."

Susan nodded and gathered her own things and handed Kerry Ella's. "Good luck." Susan said earnestly before heading to the elevator to leave.

Kerry did her best to gather Ella and all of her things and headed back to Elizabeth's room.

"Ella." Elizabeth said softly as she took her daughter into her arms. "Ella… Ella… Ella…" She said as she pressed kisses into her daughter's hair. "What are we going to do with ourselves?" She asked her obviously asleep daughter. "Thank you Kerry." Elizabeth said earnestly.

"If you need anything, I'm on shift tonight, and Susan will be back in the morning." Kerry said softly. "I'll try to keep the gossip from spreading too far downstairs."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said one final time before Kerry ducked out of the room.

Elizabeth set Ella down next to her on the bed and wrapped one arm around Ella, and the other around her stomach. "My babies." She said softly. "We're going to get through this."

* * *

The next morning Susan was walking down the hallway on her way to Elizabeth's room when she heard a noise from a supply closet, followed by a crash, followed by a small scream. Susan quickly entered the closet to see two small legs attached to a body covered by smocks. "Ella?" Susan asked, a small smirk on her face. "What are you doing in here?" She asked as she uncovered the body of a grinning toddler.

"Hungry!" Ella insisted.

"Were you looking for food in here?" She asked with a small grin.

"Sleeping." Ella explained.

"Mom's probably still asleep isn't she?" Susan asked. After receiving no answer she decided Ella was going to get very cranky, very fast, if she wasn't fed. "Let's go down to the cafeteria and find you something to eat."

Once they made their way to the cafeteria Susan was attempting to get Ella to pick something to eat, other than peanut butter. "You know you can't have any of it." Susan chastised the toddler. "What about waffles?"

"Nutty Butter!" Ella insisted.

"How about some apple butter?" Susan tried again, not wanting to have to go raid the bag in Elizabeth's room. "It will feel the same as peanut butter but will taste like apples."

"Rach!" Ella said suddenly.

"Yes I know Rachel likes peanut butter, but you can't have any. You're allergic to it." Susan replied again. "Apple butter on a waffle?" She suggested once again.

"Rach!" Ella insisted, this time pointing behind Susan.

"What's the matter Ella?" Susan asked before turning around to be confronted with a sight she wasn't prepared to see. "Rachel!" She exclaimed looking at the bloodied face in front of her. "What happened?"

_**Author's Note: Dun… Dun…Dun… I CAN'T STOP WRITING OMG WHATS WRONG WITH ME SEND HALP… Not really I'm quite enjoying myself. Seriously though you guys should review and stuff cause I like people. Okay thanks bai… Also it occurs to me that my Author's notes are basically just me fangirling about myself at the end of my own chapters and they're really non-articulate… **_


	4. Rachel

"Rachel what happened?" Susan repeated, this time hiking Ella on her hip and moving over to Mark's daughter.

"I feel down the stairs on my way from the EL." Rachel said quickly, a bit too quickly.

"Rachel there's dried blood all over you. This didn't just happen." Susan insisted. "What happened?"

"I promise… I just fell… I just need some stitches…" Rachel tried to insist.

Susan pushed away Rachel's hair from the side of her face. "Rachel, did someone hit you?" She asked gently as she pressed on the wound slightly.

"No." She replied automatically.

"Rachel." Susan insisted. "Who beat you?"

"He didn't mean to I swear!" Rachel began to cry. "I just need some stitches and then I can go back to St. Louis." Rachel insisted.

"Rachel you took a six hour train ride here… So you can get some stitches?" Susan asked in disbelief. "You do know they have hospitals in St. Louis right?"

Rachel looked down at her hands. "Mom… she kicked me out." She admitted softly.

"When?" Susan asked in disbelief. "Three AM this morning?"

"No… a couple of weeks ago." Rachel admitted quietly.

"Where have you been living?" Susan asked as she led Rachel to a table and sat her down, setting Ella down on top of the table and handing her a banana.

Rachel looked down at her hands again. "With a guy… I met him at school… He said I could stay in his apartment as long as I needed to…"

"Is he who hit you?" Susan asked softly.

Rachel nodded before crying out in pain. "He didn't mean to… I promise."

"Alright Rachel we're going to take you down the ER so that I can stitch up your face." Susan decided, standing up and picking Ella up off the table. "If you don't act up I can just do it in an empty room and no one has to know."

Rachel nodded and they proceeded quietly to the room in the furthest corner of the ER. "Rachel… why did you come all the way here?" Susan asked as she began stitching Rachel's face.

"I couldn't stay with… him anymore… And I didn't have anywhere else to go." Rachel admitted. "I came because I know Elizabeth won't… I mean she has before… But she wouldn't send me onto the streets."

Susan looked at Rachel's sad eyes. "Sweetheart, why did this guy hit you?"

Rachel shook her head. "I can't tell you… You would laugh." She said quietly.

"There's nothing funny about men hitting women Rachel." Susan said, pausing in her stitching. "Whatever the reason is you should tell somebody what happened."

Ella was climbing on the gurney around Rachel. "He hit me because I wouldn't… you know… do it… with him."

Susan dropped her scissors onto the medical tray in shock. "Rachel you're barely over fifteen… How old is this guy?"

"Nineteen." Rachel admitted softly. "He cares about me though… He really does…"

"Rachel… No man who hits women really cares about them." Susan said softly. Especially when it's for something like that."

"Susan!" Rachel protested as she felt her stiches being tied off. "I don't want to talk about it."

"How many times did he hit you?" Susan asked as she probed her head looking for any other injuries.

Rachel sat quietly in thought for a moment before replying. "Just the once."

"Rachel can I do an exam on you?" Susan asked softly. "I just want to make sure you didn't sustain any other injuries."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't want you to." She said softly.

"Rachel…"

"He's hit me before okay?!" Rachel screamed. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR FROM ME?!"

"Rachel someone's going to notice we're…" Susan began before Doctor Weaver threw the door open.

"Susan you don't have a chart made up for this patient so everything you've used so far has been stealing…" She began to lecture on a lack of procedure before she saw who was on the table. "Rachel… Rachel Greene." She said, very surprised to see her sitting there. "Did you get into some sort of accident?" Kerry asked obviously confused.

"Kerry can I talk to you outside?" Susan requested softly as she escorted her out the door.

"What's she doing here?" Kerry asked crossly. "Not that I'm unsympathetic, but her mother needs to be informed that she's here."

Susan sighed, "It's kind of a long story." She admitted. "Rachel's mother kicked her out recently… And she moved in with a boy… Well actually a man. I mean he's nineteen years old you'd think he'd know how to properly treat a woman… But he beat her Kerry… I don't know who he is but there is a man in St. Louis who beat Rachel to the point where her skull was bleeding…." Susan let out, feeling very panicked.

"…What?" Kerry asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"We have to find whoever it is that did this." Susan said quietly. "Her mother isn't going to care… And Elizabeth won't be able to relax until she knows the man who did this to her is behind bars."

"I'll… I'll try to get ahold of SLMPD. See if they can figure out where she was staying…" Kerry said shortly before heading back to the ER desk and getting on the phone.

Susan went back into the room Rachel was in and smiled at the sight of her playing with Ella. She could remember a day when this wasn't even a possibility, in fact if Elizabeth were involved in the moment it was likely that Rachel wouldn't be anywhere near Ella. "How are you feeling?" Susan asked after watching quietly for a moment.

"I'm fine." Rachel said softly as she continued to attempt to teach Ella how to high-five.

Susan sighed after a moment. "Rachel I need to do an examination on you to make sure you're going to be alright long term." She said rather frankly.

Rachel began to look incredibly scared. "I don't want you to…"

"Rachel I promise it's going to be alright." Susan tried to comfort her. "I promise it's only going to take a minute, I want to check your ribcage to make sure you don't have any broken ribs."

Rachel looked down at her hands, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself. "I know how to detect a broken rib… I have at least two."

"Oh Rachel…" Susan half-gasped. "I can get you some pain medication if you'd like… But that's really the most we can do."

"Where's Elizabeth?" Rachel asked after several moments of silence.

"Rachel now's not exactly a good time…" Susan tried to avert her attention. "If you want I can take you to go get a shower and some food…"

"I really want to try to explain some things to Elizabeth… I feel horrible about where we ended, especially since I'm about to ask her to do me a huge favor." Rachel said, not being distracted from her goal.

Susan sighed. "She's upstairs." She admitted.

"In surgery?" Rachel assumed.

"Not exactly…" Susan admitted.

"What's the matter?" She asked sensing the tension in Susan's voice.

Susan picked up Ella off from the gurney and hiked her on her hip. "It's not exactly my place to tell… But we can go up and see her if she's awake and up to seeing you." Susan offered.

Rachel nodded in response before carefully getting off the gurney, trying not to move too quickly. The trio slowly made their way up the stairs, allowing Ella to attempt to crawl up some of them herself.

After reaching the door outside of Elizabeth's room Susan spoke. "Wait out here for just a moment." She whispered quietly before knocking on the door and walking in.

Elizabeth was asleep in her bed until Ella shouted out with excitement, "Mummy!" Elizabeth's eyes proceeded to flicker open and a smile flickered across her face.

"Hello Ella. Did Susan get you some breakfast?" She asked as she took her daughter from Susan's arms.

"Rach!" Ella said excitedly.

Elizabeth looked at Susan wearily. "You did not give her peanut butter…" She began to get worked up.

"No no." Susan assured her. "Uhm… I don't know if you want to see her but… Rachel's out in the hallway."

Elizabeth looked at the ceiling. "Where's her mother?" She asked sounding more frustrated than anything.

"Elizabeth she needs you right now." Susan tried to convince her.

"I'm not her mother!" Elizabeth began to shout. "What exactly does she expect me to do here?! Welcome her back into our lives as if the past year hasn't even happened?!"

Susan saw Rachel's face duck away from the window in the door as tears ran down her cheeks. "Elizabeth she wouldn't come back if she didn't really need help." She pointed out. "You know that don't you?"

"I can't…" Elizabeth began again before a nurse screamed in the hallway.

"CODE BLUE GET A CRASH CART AND A GURNEY!"

Susan looked petrified before running into the hallway to see Rachel sprawled on the ground.

_**Author's Note: Whoops I wrote more… You all should review it and tell me what you think because then you can all have all the virtual hugs ever :D**_


	5. Rachel (Part 2)

"Rachel!" Susan cried out before running down the hallway to try to take her pulse, her pulse that wasn't there. "WHERE'S THAT CRASH CART?" Susan asked as she tore Rachel's shirt open, terrifying the new nursing aid that had called the code.

After another few seconds with no response Susan began CPR. "Get a nurse with a crash cart NOW!" She ordered before moving her full focus to compressions.

About two minutes later Chuney showed up with the nursing aid. "I didn't know where else to go… Our department isn't 24/7…" The aid tried to explain.

Susan ignored her before yelling, "Charge to 200!" and waiting a moment for the affirming beep before shouting "Clear!" and pressing the paddles to Rachel's exposed chest. She sighed with relief when Rachel coughed. Susan put the paddles down before helping Rachel sit up slightly. "What happened?"

Rachel had tears running down her face and she shook her head slightly.

"Rachel do you know what happened?" Susan asked gently. When Rachel shook her head in response Susan tried again. "Are you on any medications?"

Rachel looked down at her hands that were visibly shaking. She stayed silent for a moment before whispering "Demerol." Under her breath.

"Why were you prescribed Demerol?" Susan asked pointedly as she helped Chueny transfer Rachel onto a gurney so they could take her down to the ER for a consult as soon as possible. Rachel sat quietly in response. "Rachel did you see a doctor about previous abuse injuries?" Susan asked, taking her best guess about the situation. Rachel nodded softly. "Alright let's get you down to the ER." She said gently before helping Chuney push the gurney.

* * *

"Elizabeth?" Susan's voice came through the door several hours later.

"When am I being discharged?" Elizabeth asked anxiously as she helped Ella color in a picture in her princess coloring book.

Susan came into the room quietly and shut the door. "I can discharge you now… But I'd like you to go see a patient before you leave if you're willing."

"What's the situation?" Elizabeth asked as she handed Susan her chart from the end of her bed and she began to pull on her regular clothes.

Susan took in a deep breath, preparing to word the situation as carefully as possible. "There's a sixteen year old female down in the ER who is suffering from the effects of abuse and just went into cardiac arrest due to her prescribed Demerol." She said quickly, trying to avert as much suspicion as possible. "Doctor Weaver wanted a surgical consult to make sure she's not going to suffer any long term effects before sending her home."

"Alright, if you can watch Ella for me I'd be more than happy to do a run by your patient." Elizabeth said as she packed the last of her things.

Susan signed off her chart and took it to the nurse's station before coming back and taking Ella from Elizabeth. "We'll be in the children's waiting room." She informed her. "Oh and the patient's in trauma 4."

Elizabeth made her way down the stairs as she pulled back her hair. She pushed open the door to the room and began her standard tirade as she checked the chart, simply scanning for the fastest information. "I'm Doctor Corday and I'm here to ensure that you're not going to need any surgery to ensure your safety before we send you home." Still without looking up she continued to scan the chart. "Are there any major concerns you have in regards to any injuries you sustained from the abuse?" She asked, after receiving no response she looked up.

Rachel was sitting on the bed in tears, not knowing what was going to happen next.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth said softly. "This… this is your chart." Elizabeth said softly as she began to flip through it once again, this time ensuring that she obtained as much information about her as possible. "Why isn't your mother with you?" She asked as she flipped looking for a toxicology screening.

Rachel wiped her eyes before responding, her voice shaking. "She thinks dad screwed me up… She says I don't belong with her anymore… She kicked me out…"

"Rachel I'm sure she didn't mean it…" Elizabeth tried, setting down the chart.

"She moved… I don't know where but I tried going home a couple of days later and a different family was moving into our house…" Rachel said, trying to hide how much emotional pain she was in.

Elizabeth looked at her in shock. "Did you try the law firm, maybe it's just a coincidence…" She said, trying to console Rachel.

"She won't see me… The security guards won't even let me into the building…" Rachel said quietly. "I tried everything I could… I moved in with one of my friends as a last resort."

"Who was this friend?" Elizabeth asked, unable to ignore all of the marks of abuse on her chart.

"He was my boyfriend… He didn't mean to…" Rachel replied anxiously.

Elizabeth stood back up. "I'll be right back." She said quickly before walking quickly out of the room and pushing the door closed.

She ran up the stairs and down a very quiet hallway before reaching a rarely used supply closet, she entered and pulled the door closed behind her before bursting into tears. "How… how can this happen…" She asked herself quietly as she sank down to the floor. "I don't know what to do…"

* * *

"Have any of you seen Elizabeth?" Romano asked as he roamed around the ER.

Kerry looked up at him from the desk. "She's taking today off." She said immediately. "She's not here anymore."

"Don't lie to me Kerry. Doctor Lewis is up in the children's waiting room with Ella and Jing-Mei said she was just doing a consult." Romano informed her. "Where are you hiding my Associate Chief of Surgery?"

"If you're so sure she's here why don't you try paging her?" Kerry suggested. "And in the meantime we need a consult in trauma 5."

"Get Corday to do it!" Romano replied before beginning to walk the opposite way from the traumas.

"I would if she were on!" Kerry replied.

Romano turned around and angrily marched toward the trauma rooms. He was nearing trauma 5 when he glanced into trauma 4. He shoved the door open. "Alright where's Elizabeth?" He asked angrily.

Rachel looked over at him in terror. "I don't… I don't… She just left… A couple of hours ago…"

"Why are you even here?" Romano asked, suddenly thinking about the situation. After a moment of silence he sighed. "Alright don't tell me but know Elizabeth's job is on the line right now." He replied angrily before heading back to the center of the ER.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Romano insisted again.

Susan was entering in that moment. "Where is Elizabeth?" Susan asked. "Ella's starving…"

Kerry looked up at her in surprise. "Wait… You're telling me we have a missing doctor and recently discharged patient?" She asked anxiously. "You know if anything happened to her… We're going to be in huge…"

"I don't care if we're in trouble." Romano cut her off. "Why was she recently discharged?"

"None of your business!" Kerry and Susan replied at the same time.

"You're telling me it's none of my business that my staff is missing and recently hospitalized?" Romano asked in disbelief.

"YES!" They replied angrily.

Susan handed Ella to Abby who was walking by. "Call security and ask them to help us look for her." She requested. "I'll start checking OR's and her office."

"What's wrong with Elizabeth?" Romano asked impatiently.

Kerry shook her head before picking up the phone and dialing security. "I need a premises search for a missing doctor." She said urgently. "High priority… Doctor Elizabeth Corday… She was just discharged but her car and children are still here." She said trying to convince the security personnel on the other side to begin searching. "She could be unconscious…" Kerry tried again, apparently not making much headway. She sighed angrily before yelling, "Because she's pregnant that's why!" And angrily hanging up the phone.

Kerry looked at Romano's shocked face. "Don't just stand there! We have to find her!" Kerry ordered.

People were searching the hospital for nearly an hour before Abby opened the door to the supply closet, which inside had a sleeping Elizabeth lying on the floor. "I FOUND HER!" Abby yelled down the hall before squatting down next to Elizabeth. "Hey." She greeted her as she woke up. "You gave us quite a scare there Doctor Corday." She said gently as she helped Elizabeth up.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep… How long was I out?" Elizabeth asked as she went back down to the ER with Abby.

"About four hours…" Abby admitted quietly.

Elizabeth sighed. "Alright then." She said aloud, though a thousand thoughts were running through her head. _I can't believe I left Rachel for that long. I'm still so exhausted. Sleeping on the floor of a supply closet really isn't comfortable. _

"Mummy!" Ella's voice said excitedly when she saw her mom from her position on the desk in front of Randi.

"Ella I'll be right back." Elizabeth said gently before proceeding to trauma 4. She opened the door and found the room empty. She ran back to the ER desk. "Where's Rachel?"

"Who?" Jing-Mei asked.

"The girl who was in trauma 4… Rachel… Where is she?" Elizabeth insisted.

"I think Gallant discharged her about an hour ago… She wasn't your patient why are you so concerned?" Jing-Mei replied.

"Do you know if she left?" Elizabeth insisted.

"I don't know ask Jerry!" Jing-Mei said, obviously annoyed.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Rachel was here… Do you know where she is?" She asked Jerry as soon as she reached the desk.

"She said something about taking the EL…" Jerry started. "Why is she here anyway? Visiting Ella?"

"Something like that…" Elizabeth said distractedly before running out through the ambulance bay.

She ran straight to the EL station and was about to ask the police officer nearby if he had seen anyone with her description when she spotted Rachel sitting on a bench with her knees pulled up under her chin and her arms wrapped around them, hiding part of her face.

_**Author's Note: Yaaaay! Weekend writing sessions are the best writing sessions! Please review children's! **_


	6. We Need A Plan

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Elizabeth asked, causing Rachel to look up at her in surprise.

"I don't know… I figured I'd find somewhere to stay tonight… I don't want to be a bother…" Rachel replied as she picked up her backpack from the ground. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come."

Elizabeth shook her head as she gently took the backpack from her hand and set it back down before sitting next to her. "Rachel." She said softly as she gently placed her hand on Rachel's arm. "When I said you were always welcome here I did mean it."

"Then why didn't you want to see me!?" Rachel burst out suddenly.

"Rachel…"

"Don't act like it didn't happen!" Rachel yelled angrily. "I understand okay! You don't have to help me because you feel bad for me! I'll figure something out!"

"Rachel I realize how it seemed to you…" Elizabeth tried to explain.

"I understand you don't want to deal with another one of your dead husband's daughters." Rachel said, clearly livid.

"Rachel I'm pregnant." Elizabeth said immediately.

Rachel looked up at her in shock. "I'm… sorry…" She replied quietly.

"Rachel it's not your fault." Elizabeth said gently. "I just didn't know how to handle you when you simply showed up." Rachel looked down at her hands in response. "You need help Rachel." Elizabeth said gently.

"No… it's fine… I can go back to St. Louis I shouldn't have come." Rachel said softly.

"Rachel who are you going to go back to?" Elizabeth asked her.

"I'll find a friend to stay with… I'll be okay…" Rachel replied before reaching for her backpack again.

"The same friend who beat you?" Elizabeth asked, grabbing Rachel's wrist.

"HE LOVES ME OKAY?!" Rachel screamed as she pulled her wrist away.

Elizabeth grabbed on tighter. "Rachel… He doesn't love you if he hurts you."

"You don't know what he feels like!" Rachel replied angrily. "You can't tell me he doesn't love me!"

"Rachel, your father loved you very much and while you aren't mine, I still care about you very much. I may not agree with all of the decisions you've made but you still matter to me. You matter to Ella. You're her older sister. What kind of an example are you setting for Ella if you let him control you?" Elizabeth said softly as she took Rachel's backpack from her shaking hands. "I'm sorry this happened to you… But you need to admit to yourself that he didn't love you."

"How do you know!?" Rachel asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Because you have three broken ribs and a large yellowing bruise on your back." Elizabeth said softly. Rachel burst out into tears and Elizabeth gently pulled her into her arms. "Shhh… it's going to be alright… We're going to go back to the ER and everything's going to be alright…"

* * *

"Hi Ella." Rachel greeted her younger sister softly as Elizabeth handed Ella to her.

"Rachel I know you don't want to tell us but we need to know who did this to you." Elizabeth said softly.

Rachel shook her head in response. "I don't want him to get into trouble."

"Rachel I need you to tell me before we file in the report." Elizabeth said softly.

"NO!" Rachel yelled, scaring Ella before she began screaming. Elizabeth carefully took Ella from Rachel.

"Rachel why don't you want us to know who he is?" Elizabeth asked gently.

Rachel stared blankly in front of her. "I told him to meet me at Doc Magoo's in about an hour." She whispered.

"WHAT?!" Elizabeth asked angrily. "Why on earth…"

"I didn't mean for this to turn into what it did. When I left St. Louis it was because I knew that the hospital in St. Louis would report him. I told him that if I came here I could get treated and no one would ask any questions… I didn't think this would turn into what it did. He's bringing his car to come get me…" Rachel explained nervously. "He'll kill me if he finds out…"

"Jerry call security and ask them to make sure no one enters in through the ambulance bay unless they're coming in in one." Elizabeth said hurriedly before turning back to Rachel. "Rachel do you have any photographs?"

"NO YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM!" Rachel screamed angrily.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried to reason with her.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THIS!" Rachel cut her off. "I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED YOU I THOUGHT YOU'D WANT TO PROTECT HIM!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, completely unable to think of a better solution to the situation. "Abby can you get 10 milliliters of Seconal?" She asked as she set Ella down on the chair next to Rachel.

"Yes Doctor Corday." Abby replied before preparing the shot.

"Rachel I know you're scared but you're going to take a bit of a nap and when you wake up it will all be over alright?" Elizabeth said gently as she took the shot from Abby.

"No you can't do this! You have no right!" Rachel tried to protest.

"Abby can you hold her arm still please?" Elizabeth asked gently. "Alright it's going to hurt for just a second Rachel and then you're going to feel numb. It might scare you but it's not going to hurt you." Seconds later Rachel was drifting off to sleep.

"Okay we have less than an hour before some guy I don't even know comes to try to take Rachel back." Elizabeth said frantically as she helped Abby move Rachel onto a gurney behind a curtain and closing the curtain. "Jerry if anyone not staff asks for a Rachel Greene tell them she's not here. And if anyone tries to go behind that curtain call security." Elizabeth said quickly.

"Elizabeth what can we do?" Kerry asked gently.

Elizabeth ran her fingers frantically through her hair. "Someone needs to put Ella to bed it's nearly seven and she's been up since about six this morning."

"I've got her." Chuney said as she picked Ella up off the chairs. "I'll watch her in the nurse's lounge."

"Thank you." Elizabeth responded absent-mindedly. "I need a picture of him… I just don't know how to get it…"

"Check her backpack." Abby responded immediately. "When I was in high school you really weren't dating if you didn't carry around a picture of said significant other around with you at all times."

Elizabeth nodded before picking the backpack up off the floor and emptying the contents onto the counter. She was rummaging through loose papers and notebooks, seemingly endless amounts of trash, and way too many sticks of Chap Stick.

Abby was watching over her shoulder and grabbed the wallet from the middle of the pile. She flicked open the wallet and pulled out an obvious stack of pictures. One of Mark, one of Ella, another of Mark, one of Rachel's mother, "Found it!" Abby replied handing Elizabeth the photograph of a boy with long brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Alright someone get me a police officer." Elizabeth said hurriedly as she studied the picture for herself. About five minutes later a member of CPD came running into the ER accompanied by Doctor's Romano and Chen.

"We've got a picture?" The officer asked. Elizabeth nodded and handed it to him.

"He's supposed to be meeting Rachel at Doc's in about fifteen minutes." Elizabeth said hurriedly.

"I can have a couple of officers waiting inside for him." The officer offered.

Elizabeth shook her head. "He sees a police officer he leaves." She replied softly.

"What other options do we have?" The officer asked.

"I'll go." Romano spoke up.

"Robert…" Elizabeth began.

"Look there will be plenty of other doctor's in there from other departments nothing is going to look off if I'm in there." Romano pointed out.

Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. "Page me when he gets in there?" She asked quietly as the officer handed him his picture.

"Yep." He replied as he studied the picture.

Elizabeth stood there confused for a moment before looking at Romano. "Why are you doing this Robert?"

"He hurt her Elizabeth and there's no way I'm letting him get away." He replied. "I've got to get over there so I can look nice and non-conspicuous."

He was almost all the way out the door before Elizabeth spoke up. "Thank you Robert." She said sincerely before sitting down with her pager gripped tightly in her hand.

_**Author's Note: Hallo! Weekends are sort of the best because long writing sessions of awesome! Thanks so much for the reviews I've gotten so far. I promise that the title will be explained in future chapters for the person who's been asking :)**_


	7. Robert Steps Up

"How can he not be there yet?" Elizabeth asked anxiously as she glanced to the clock seeing 8:09 blaring back at her.

"Calm down Elizabeth." Kerry tried to comfort her.

"What if Robert just didn't see him and he's already gotten away?" She asked again.

"Elizabeth he's one of the most observant people I know." Susan replied. "Which isn't always a good thing but in this situation…" Suddenly Elizabeth's pager went off.

"It's Robert." She told the police officer anxiously before he ran out along with two of his officers over toward Doc Magoo's. Elizabeth followed for a moment before stopping just outside of the ER doors. She watched as the three ran across the street and into the restaurant.

* * *

Robert sat by himself at a table, working on his third piece of pie and pretending to read a newspaper. He looked up nonchalantly each time he heard someone open up the door to the restaurant. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly ten after. _This guy is really not punctual… _He was beginning to think when the door opened once more. He immediately recognized the guy as the one in the picture and he pressed the send button on his pager.

"Have you seen a girl… Bout sixteen?" The guy asked the woman working the counter.

"No… Not that it's any of your business. Order something or get out." She replied snarkily.

Robert was staring and he knew it. "What do you want!?" The guy asked angrily. Robert shook his head. "Nothing I just think sixteen's a bit young for you…"

"What did you just say to me?" He asked as he began to confront Robert's table.

"What are you twenty?" Robert asked, waiting for the officers to come through the door at any moment.

"Who are you?" He asked angrily.

Robert was trying to come up with a response when the officers came through the door.

"PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" They shouted into the restaurant and everyone complied.

They spotted their intended target and grabbed his arms. "You are under the arrest for the abuse of a minor."

"What are you talking about?!" He feigned ignorance to the situation.

"RACHEL GREENE THAT'S WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!" Robert yelled at him.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?!" He yelled back at him. "SHE'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

"You abused a sixteen year old girl that you know nothing about and you think she's none of my business?" Robert replied as they handcuffed him.

"What are you her father?" He asked angrily.

Romano shook his head. "You never cared about her." He said angrily before exiting and slamming the door to the restaurant.

"Robert?" Elizabeth asked anxiously as he re-entered the ER.

"He's been arrested." Robert said angrily as he kicked the wall before continuing toward the elevator.

"Robert what happened?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.

"He thought I was her father… He knew nothing about her… He was using her." Robert said angrily.

Elizabeth sighed. "It's taken care of… There's no need to talk about it anymore Robert."

"You know Rachel's not going to feel that way when she wakes up." Robert pointed out.

"What exactly am I supposed to do here?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"About what?"

"Rachel…" Elizabeth replied.

"Take her home." Romano said assumptively.

"She's going to hate me." Elizabeth pointed out. "She's never going to forgive me for this…"

"Don't beat yourself up over this guy. He's already caused enough damage to people around here." Romano muttered.

Elizabeth sighed as she watched Romano head back up to his office as if nothing were out of the ordinary. She felt her stomach complain in desire for food, and could begin to feel her fatigue clouding over. _I've got at least an hour before Rachel wakes up… That has to be at least enough time to get some food and maybe a twenty minute nap. _

* * *

Rachel woke up to see a hazy ER in front of her, Elizabeth asleep on a chair just to the left of her bed with Ella in her arms.

"Rachel how are you feeling?" Susan asked her gently as she passed by.

"A little dizzy…"She admitted.

"Alright well I can get you a glass of water. It might take a bit for you to wake up entirely." Susan said quietly, trying not to wake up Elizabeth.

Rachel's eyes seemed to pop open. "WHERE'S DAVID?!" She yelled suddenly.

"Rachel…" Susan tried to calm her down.

"WHAT TIME IS IT? WHAT HAPPENED?" Rachel insisted.

"Rachel he's not going to attack you again. He's not coming back you have nothing to worry about." Susan explained.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT!" Rachel screamed back.

Elizabeth stood up and set Ella down on the chair. "I'm sorry Rachel." She said quietly as she took her hand. "It was for your own good that we did what we did."

"David's not stupid he would have run as soon as he saw the cops… He got away didn't he?" Rachel questioned her rapidly. "He's back in St. Louis right?"

"Rachel he was arrested last night." Elizabeth told her softly.

"Under what charges… I don't have any charges… They can't arrest him if I say nothing happened…" Rachel replied quickly. "Call them and tell them to let him go!"

Elizabeth felt a huge amount of emotions boiling under her skin before replying. "No!" She shouted suddenly. "This isn't your choice anymore Rachel! Your father couldn't tell you no but I'm willing to. This is for your own safety and I'm not letting you compromise that again."

"I come back for what two days and you're already taking over my life again!" Rachel yelled back. "I want to go home with David and forget that any of this ever happened!"

"How exactly are you planning on running away with your convict abuser and forget that this ER risked their lives to protect you?" Elizabeth replied. "Is that something you really think you can do? You're sixteen years old Rachel, I might not biologically be your mother but this is what you've chosen until we figure out something else."

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed back.

"That's brilliant and entirely original." Elizabeth replied before walking away and over to the ER desk to check Rachel's chart. "I'm going to discharge Rachel and take her home." She told Kerry quietly.

"How's she taking it?" Kerry asked before she heard a scream from Rachel.

"YOU'RE RUINING MY LIFE!"

"Well I take it." Kerry answered her own question sarcastically.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kerry." Elizabeth said as she signed off on Rachel's chart.

Elizabeth went back to Rachel with her things. "Put on your clothes we're going home." She said as she handed her a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

"I'm not going with you." Rachel said as she crossed her arms.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Look Rachel I don't care if you lock yourself in your room when we get back to the house, but you've been discharged, I've been discharged… It's been a long couple of days and I need to sleep."

Rachel sighed and angrily grabbed her clothes from Elizabeth. "Can't I at least change clothes by myself?" She questioned her.

"Fine." Elizabeth replied shortly. "Two minutes."

"Two?" Rachel asked crankily.

"Two." Elizabeth insisted as she hiked Ella onto her hip. She looked down at her daughter and whispered into her hair. "She's just cranky… I'm sure she'll be happy to be with us in the morning."

Rachel came out moments later, her hands shoved into her pockets, and her hood covering her head. "Let's go." She said angrily. "I don't want to run into anyone I went to school with here."

"Rachel it's not like your friends are frequently at the hospital." Elizabeth said as they walked out to the car.

"I don't want to see anyone I know okay?!" Rachel responded crankily.

Elizabeth shook her head. _It's going to be a long day._

_**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! If you think there's anyone who would want to read this share it everywhere! ER fanfic doesn't get written much so it's pretty hard to find. Please Review!**_


	8. Getting Comfortable Again

"Rachel You've got to eat something." Elizabeth called from the kitchen. Rachel had gone directly to the couch when they had arrived at the house and she hadn't moved since. She had been switching back and forth between a Lizzie McGuire marathon and re-runs of Daria for nearly seven hours.

"No." She replied crankily as she pulled a blanket up to her chin and she flipped the channel.

Elizabeth set down the knife she was using to prepare the chicken for dinner and she went into the living room. "Alright Rachel you're going to do something today other than watch TV." She said as she pulled the plug to the television.

"NO! PLUG IT BACK IN!" Rachel screamed as she stood up and threw the blanket across the room to the other couch.

"Rachel go find a book, play with Ella, and teach yourself Latin, I don't really care! I'm not letting you sit around here feeling sorry for yourself. That's not the attitude we have in this household." Elizabeth replied, crossing her arms.

Rachel glared back. "No." She said, clearly livid.

"Ella's in the playroom." Elizabeth replied as she took the remote from the coffee table. "Dinner's in an hour."

Rachel simply walked directly to her room and slammed her door.

"Alright then." Elizabeth muttered before going back to preparing dinner.

* * *

"Ella no." Elizabeth scolded her daughter as she shoved her potatoes off from her plate. "We keep our food on our plates."

"Icky!" Ella replied before mashing the potatoes directly onto the table.

Elizabeth sighed and rested her head in her hand which was propped on the table. "Rachel!" She called toward Rachel's room for nearly the fifteenth time. When she didn't respond Elizabeth got up from the table and went to knock on the door. "Rachel if you don't come out here and eat dinner with your sister and I, I will personally remove anything you could possibly use for your own entertainment from your room."

Rachel's door flew open. "You wouldn't dare." She challenged.

"Try me." Elizabeth retaliated. Rachel tried to close the door again but Elizabeth stopped it with her foot. "You asked for this." She replied as she entered Rachel's room and began gathering things.

"STOP IT!" Rachel screamed angrily as she tried to retrieve her CD player from Elizabeth's hand.

"Rachel just go eat dinner. We can talk about this later." Elizabeth said as she gently removed Rachel's hand from her arm.

"Why are you doing this?" Rachel asked, tears streaming down her face. "Why do you even care?"

Elizabeth looked at her, questioning what answer she was looking for. "We need to have a long talk about a lot of things tonight." She replied softly. "For now let's all just eat dinner and get Ella ready for bed and then we're going to work this out, alright?"

Rachel sighed and followed Elizabeth to the table. She sat down quietly across from Ella, and began picking at her vegetables.

"Are you just not going to eat?" Elizabeth asked after several minutes.

Rachel bit her lip. "I'm a vegetarian."

Elizabeth mentally slapped the back of her head. "I'm sorry… I knew that… I knew that." She assured herself. "I think there might be some tofu in the bottom of the fridge…"

"It's okay Elizabeth." Rachel replied. "I'll find something."

After nearly half an hour of searching she came up with a nearly empty box of Lucky Charms.

"Rachel I'm sorry…" Elizabeth said as she warmed a bottle for Ella. "If you want I can order out for pizza?" She suggested.

Rachel smiled for the first time all day. "That would be great." She admitted as she shoved the handful of Lucky Charms into her mouth.

"If you want I guess you can watch some television until I get Ella down and the pizza gets here." Elizabeth offered.

Rachel shook her head. "You're right… I'll find something to read." She said before heading back into her room.

Elizabeth went into the living room and retrieved Ella from the floor. "Let's get you to bed."

* * *

The doorbell rang signaling the arrival of the pizza. "Rachel can you get that?" Elizabeth asked from upstairs.

"Sure." Rachel called back as she answered the door.

"12.67." The delivery guy said curtly.

"Uh… Hold on one moment…" Rachel requested before calling up the stairs. "Elizabeth we sort of have to pay for the pizza!"

Elizabeth came down the stairs with a twenty in her hand. "Sorry about the wait, keep the change." She said as she exchanged the cash for the pizza and shut the door. "Alright should we put in a movie?" She asked before putting the Pizza box on the coffee table.

"Sure." Rachel said as she grabbed a couple of glasses of water from the kitchen.

"What do you want to watch?" Elizabeth asked as she opened the DVD cabinet.

"Do you still have _Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_?" Rachel asked as she sat down next to Elizabeth on the couch.

"You and your father…" Elizabeth said with a smirk. "Of course I kept it." She replied as she put the disc into the DVD player.

About an hour into the movie, the entire pizza was devoured and Elizabeth was lying down on one couch, while Rachel sat curled up with a blanket on the other.

"Rachel?" Elizabeth asked softly, so quietly Rachel could barely hear her over the movie.

"Hmm?" She replied, not taking her eyes off the screen to see Elizabeth trying to prop herself up on the couch.

"Could you get me one of the bottles of ginger tea we picked up from the fridge?" Elizabeth asked as she took in shallow breaths, clearly trying not to become more nauseated.

Rachel hopped up immediately, completely unsure of what to do in this situation. She ran to the fridge and got the bottle Elizabeth was requesting and ran it back to her. "Uh… is there anything else I can…"

"Rachel I'm fine." Elizabeth assured her as she sipped her tea. "I had fairly bad morning sickness with Ella, I'm prepared for this to get a lot worse than it is right now."

Rachel picked up the remote and paused the movie. "Elizabeth…" She said quietly, before finding herself unable to finish her sentence without the tears coming back. "I'm so sorry." She said softly.

"Oh Rachel." Elizabeth said as she carefully got up off the couch, trying not to disrupt her stomach more than necessary. "Rachel it's not your fault that he hurt you." She assured her as she sat down next to her.

Rachel tried to wipe her tears but they just kept falling. "I thought he really cared about me…" She said softly before bursting into sobs.

Elizabeth gently pulled Rachel into her arms. "I know… I know…" She whispered. "He used you… You are barely sixteen years old you shouldn't have to deal with this."

"He said he'd take care of me." Rachel sobbed.

"It's okay… You're going to be okay…"

* * *

"Elizabeth?" Rachel whispered. When there was no response she carefully got up and went into the kitchen. The clock read 8:00. Rachel fumbled around the kitchen until she found a banana and she peeled it open. She sat alone at the counter for about ten minutes before she heard Ella crying upstairs. She quickly ran up the stairs, not wanting Elizabeth to wake up earlier than necessary.

"Hey." She greeted her little sister when she arrived in her nursery. She awkwardly lowered the side bars to the crib and lifted Ella out from the crib. "Don't cry…. It's okay…" She tried to console her. Ella simply continued to cry as Rachel hiked her up on her hip. "Ella what do you want?" She asked as she wandered around the room with her. "Do you want a doll?" She asked to which Ella responded with crossed arms and a firm shake of her head. "Breakfast?" Another negative response. "Your pacifier?" She tried as she eyed it on the changing table.

"Yes!" Ella said happily as she clapped her hands together.

Rachel smiled and handed Ella her pacifier. "Alright now what should we do this morning?" She asked rhetorically as they began to wander around the house, Rachel re-familiarizing herself with the house. She was approaching the door to her dad's old office when she stopped in her tracks. She looked at the photographs that lined the wall. Pictures of Elizabeth, Mark, and Ella lined the hallway in its entirety.

"Dada." Ella said seriously as she pointed to a picture of Mark.

"Yeah that's dad…" Rachel said quietly. "Our dad was a pretty great dad huh?" She asked her with a smile. Ella nodded and buried her face in Rachel's hair.

"Rachel?" Elizabeth's voice carried up the stairs.

"I'm upstairs with Ella." She replied. "We'll be right down." She said as they headed down the stairs.

"Good Morning Ella." Elizabeth said as she took Ella from Rachel's arms. "Are you feeling alright this morning Rachel?" Rachel nodded softly before heading into the kitchen and grabbing a jar of peanut butter. "Rachel I'd like to try to get you enrolled into a private school…" Elizabeth began.

"No." Rachel replied immediately. "I'm not going to some preparatory school that you think I need because you don't like what I'm doing with my life…"

"Rachel I don't want to send you to a correctional school I want to send you to an advanced school." Elizabeth cut her off.

"What?"

_**Author's Note: Wheeeee! It's way too late and a school night but here have another chapter :) Hope you're enjoying the story! This was a bit of a filler chapter for a transition. I should upload this weekend if not sooner.**_


	9. Why Do You Care

"Rachel I think you should go to a private school rather than going back to the school you used to go to." Elizabeth reiterated.

Rachel took a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar and began to eat it. "This is because you don't want me to go back to my friends there isn't it?" She asked angrily.

"Rachel you are a beautiful, capable, intelligent young woman. You've gone through a lot over the past few months and I don't think public school is the best place for you to be dealing with all of it." Elizabeth said gently. "I want you to be in the best place for you to get an education."

"I don't want to be some freak who goes to an expensive public school because of her family problems." Rachel replied without looking up.

"Rachel it's not that kind of school." Elizabeth tried again. "It's an academy that focuses mainly on thought rather than memorization."

"So?" Rachel replied, obviously not caring.

"Rachel you're an incredible person. Your father seized in front of you and you preformed the proper treatment without having to be told what to do." Elizabeth said softly. "At this school you can study medicine without having to spend your time learning a standard high school education. Or if medicine isn't what you want to study there's twenty other fields of study."

Rachel looked up in surprise at the mention of her father's seizure. "How do you know about that?" She asked quietly.

"I was married to Mark…" Elizabeth pointed out. "We did talk about things when you weren't there."

Rachel sighed. "I've always wanted to be a doctor, just like dad." She admitted. "But I don't want a stressful school situation on top of everything else."

"Rachel I've already talked to the board of the school." Elizabeth admitted.

"You what?!" Rachel asked angrily.

"Rachel do you really want to end your life the way you almost ended Ella's?!" Elizabeth retorted.

Rachel looked up at her, hurt evident in her eyes. She shook her head. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have come to you…" She apologized quietly before running out the front door, only in a pair of grey sweats and a Hawaii t-shirt.

"RACHEL!" Elizabeth tried to follow her, while carrying Ella, but she had already ran down the street and around the corner. "Crap…" She muttered under her breath. "Alright Ella mummy messed up and we're going to have another strange day."

"Play?" Ella asked hopefully.

Elizabeth shook her head. "We've got to find Rachel… And I've got to…" She began before she felt incredibly nauseated. She quickly set Ella down on the couch and ran to the bathroom downstairs. It was nearly ten minutes later and Elizabeth was resting her head uncomfortably on the toilet seat, waiting to see if anything else was going to come up, when she heard Ella scream from the living room.

Elizabeth jumped up faster than she thought was possible. "Ella?" She asked, unknowing what she was going to find in the next room.

Ella was on the floor, surrounded by shards of glass from the picture frame that had fallen off from the entertainment center. "Ella don't move." Elizabeth said sharply as she grabbed her shoes from by the front door. She carefully picked Ella up from the pile of glass and tried to comfort the screaming toddler. "Ella did you touch the glass?" She asked as she searched for any signs of glass embedded in her skin. Not finding anything she pulled her in close. "Shh… It was just scary… You're fine Ella, I promise."

"Daddy." Ella said softly.

Elizabeth looked back at the pile and realized the picture frame that had broken was the one that had a photograph of Ella and Mark in it. She quickly picked up the picture and handed it to Ella. "This is what you wanted isn't it Ella?" She asked softly as Ella clutched the picture to her chest. "Okay…" Elizabeth said through a sigh as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Okay."

* * *

"Elizabeth you're late!" Romano called toward her as she went into her office. Elizabeth ignored him and continued moving through her office, trying to get as much done as quickly as possible.

"Lizzie?" Romano questioned as he knocked on the door to her office.

"Robert not now!" Elizabeth replied curtly, still trying to keep the nausea at bay in addition to dealing with everything else that was going on.

"Why's Ella here?" He asked as he waved to the toddler in the playpen on the other side of her office.

"Robert I can't do this." She said angrily as she sat down at her desk and began to pick up the phone.

Robert gently pressed his hand down on hers. "Lizzie?" He asked, genuinely concerned for her.

"Trash can." She muttered under her breath.

"What?" Robert asked confused.

"Hand me the trash can!" She insisted through clenched teeth.

Robert did as she asked before she promptly vomited into it. "Morning sickness?" He asked softly.

Elizabeth nodded without opening her mouth, not trusting herself enough yet.

"Where's Rachel?" Robert asked softly. "Is she back at your house?"

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair before replying. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Robert asked her, clearly confused.

"She ran out of the house this morning…. I tried driving around looking for her… I didn't find her…" Elizabeth explained softly. "It's not too big of a deal… She'll probably go back to the house sometime today."

"Lizzie… I needed to talk to you this morning to let you know that the police department wasn't able to prove anything against David Rodgers without a direct testimony and they let him go this morning." Romano said gently.

Elizabeth stared at him wide-eyed. "No." She insisted. "This isn't happening…"

"Why don't you call your house? See if she's already back?" Romano tried.

Elizabeth picked up the phone and dialed the house, no answer. "What if she's lying beaten in the street somewhere?" She asked worriedly.

"Then they'll bring her here." Robert said, matter-of-factly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "That's not an option… I'm the closest thing she has to a mother right now and I let this happen." She said as she got up from her desk. "Watch Ella for me." She said as she headed for the door.

"No." Robert insisted. "You don't feel well and you're clearly tired. Let me go with Carter or Kovac and you can stay here with Ella."

"You spending time with Carter or Kovac?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically.

"Elizabeth." Robert insisted. "I'll find her."

Elizabeth sat down in a chair and tried to hide the tears that started falling. "Just… please… find her…"

"You have my word."

* * *

Rachel woke up on the El and looked around. No one else was on the same cart as she was and she could feel a throbbing pain on her eye. _I'm not dead._ Was the first thing she recognized. Somehow, he had gotten out and found her and made sure she knew that he didn't love her. _He never loved me. _She looked out the window and realized they were approaching the stop outside of County. She prepared herself to get off the train and groaned as her body protested her movements. She felt the El jerk to a stop and she pulled herself up and off the train. She could feel her feet making contact with the cold pavement. _I should have worn shoes_. She thought crankily before beginning the short walk to County.

About three minutes later, she dazedly walked through the doors from the ambulance bay.

"Rachel." Kerry said gently before leading her aside, into Exam 8. "Rachel what happened?" She asked gently as she began to examine the girl.

"I don't understand… He found me…" She said softly, not looking up from her bloodied hand.

Kerry gently pressed on her cheekbone which elicited a small whimper. "Rachel your cheekbone is definitely broken." She said gently. "I'm going to get Elizabeth alright?"

Rachel nodded softly before laying back.

Kerry quickly made her way up to Elizabeth's office. "Elizabeth Rachel's in the ER."

"Please tell me…" Elizabeth began to say as she stood up from her desk.

"He found her." Kerry said softly. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth took in a deep breath. "Did Robert and Carter find her?"

Kerry shook her head. "She came in herself."

Elizabeth followed her into Exam 8. "Rachel I'm so sorry." Elizabeth said gently. "I should have come after you."

Rachel shook her head. "It's my fault."

"Rachel don't you ever think this is your fault." Elizabeth said softly.

"You have Ella to take care of… I'm just in the way here… I'll go back to St. Louis and try to find my mom…" Rachel said softly. "Please just… act like I never came…"

Elizabeth gently took her hand in hers as Kerry began to suture the gash on Rachel's face. "You're not going anywhere." She assured her.

Rachel began to cry softly, partially at the pain partially because she felt so helpless. "He didn't love me…. You were right… He never cared about me..." She whispered, grimacing at the slight pain from the stitches going into her face.

As soon as Kerry finished the stitches she left the two of them alone. "Rachel?" Elizabeth asked, sensing a huge amount of tension in her emotions. Rachel quickly reached toward Elizabeth and buried her head into Elizabeth's shoulder.

After several minutes of sobbing she sat up again. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't cry… I'm sorry…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's alright to cry sometimes Rachel." She said gently. "You were hurt, what happened to you isn't fair."

"How come you can be so nice to me?" Rachel asked softly.

"Rachel, every day, through those doors, come girls who have been completely abandoned by everyone with drug overdoses, unexpected pregnancies, rape injuries, and sometimes they die. Maybe I'm not your biological mother, but I'm someone who cares about you and what happens to you." Elizabeth said gently. "I never want you to become one of those girls, completely incapable of understanding that there are people out there who care about them."

"I almost killed Ella…" Rachel said, angrier with herself more than anything else.

"We all make mistakes Rachel. I'm not shutting you out because of yours." Elizabeth insisted. "I said things I shouldn't have this morning and I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head. "You really don't have to do this."

"Yes. I do." Elizabeth said. "That's that alright? I'm going to take you home and we're going to work this out."

Rachel simply nodded, not knowing what else to say.

_**Author's Note: Whoops I'm stuck at home all weekend sick… No fun but that means more writing for you :D Please Review!**_


	10. Everyone Needs A Mother

Rachel and Ella were sitting on the couch, Rachel helping Ella put a puzzle of Zoo animals together on the Ottoman. "What's this?" She asked as she held up a zebra piece.

"Zebra!" She exclaimed happily as she took the piece from Rachel's hand.

"That's right." Rachel said, trying not to smile too much because it hurt due to her recent stitches.

"Rachel?" Elizabeth called from the kitchen. "How exactly do you prepare tofu?" She asked as Rachel walked in. "Your father always did the cooking or we ordered out…" She explained awkwardly.

"Well you can technically just eat it plain, but it tastes a lot better if you marinate or flavor it." Rachel replied. "My favorite way to cook it is in a mango sauce in a frying pan with some broccoli and snap peas. I can cook my own dinner if you'd like." She offered.

"You don't have to do that." Elizabeth insisted. "You're a part of this family, no matter how messed up or crazy it is."

"Here let me at least help." Rachel insisted as she pulled a couple of mangos from the refrigerator. "If you dice these and blend it with a couple of tablespoons of milk it will make a good frying sauce." She instructed as she grabbed a knife to cut one of them, while Elizabeth cut the other.

"How did you learn how to cook so well?" Elizabeth asked after Rachel began to fry the food.

"Mom and Dad weren't around when I was growing up… Dad was here in Chicago… Mom was always working… I fed myself." Rachel explained. "I was twelve when I started doing research on healthy eating and decided to become vegetarian. It's a healthier diet which isn't ever a bad thing for a human body."

"How exactly did you do this studying?" Elizabeth asked with genuine interest.

"I went to the library all the time. I love to read." She admitted quietly. "You never would have guessed that based on what you know about me from when I lived here."

"Favorite book?" Elizabeth asked as she set the table for the three of them.

"Pride and Prejudice." Rachel replied.

"Ahh. An Austen fan?" Elizabeth nodded with approval. "I read her books rather obsessively in my teenage years."

"Well they are very good." Rachel said approvingly. "This should be done in about a minute."

"Alright I'll go get Ella." Elizabeth said before heading into the living room to grab her young daughter. "Ella do you want some tofu?"

"No!" Ella said covering her mouth with both her hands.

"Alright then some mangos and bananas?" Elizabeth suggested again.

"Yes yes yes!" She said excitedly as Elizabeth set Ella into her high chair.

"I'm going to chop up some mango and banana for Ella and then I'll join you, go ahead and start eating." Elizabeth informed Rachel as she moved over to the kitchen from the dining room.

"Okay." Rachel replied, already shoving food into her mouth. Elizabeth sat down at the table and gave her a strange look. "I'm sorry I'm just… really hungry."

"It's fine Rachel… You look like you're hungry." Elizabeth said as she sat down herself. They sat awkwardly at the table, eating in silence for several moments before Elizabeth spoke up. "Rachel maybe we should consider…" She began before trailing off.

Rachel looked at her with piqued interest. "What?"

"Don't worry about it… I shouldn't have…" Elizabeth tried to shoo the situation away.

"Elizabeth…"

"I think we should get you into a program… For mental recovery…" She said awkwardly. "I know you really don't want to be inpatient… But there's outpatient therapy at County… I think you should at least talk to somebody about this…"

Rachel stared at the food in her bowl for several minutes before nodding softly. "You're right." She whispered.

"Rachel it's not something to be ashamed or afraid of." Elizabeth assured her. "Within the past two months you dealt with your father dying, your mother entirely abandoning you, and a boy you thought loved you abusing you. You've been strong for too long."

Rachel nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I'm going to go to bed…" She said, suddenly having lost her appetite.

"Let me know if you need anything." Elizabeth said gently as she took their dishes over to the sink, herself not really feeling like eating either. Rachel nodded before going to her own room.

"Rach play?" Ella asked hopefully.

Elizabeth shook her head and picked her daughter up. "Come on Ella you're actually going to bed before tomorrow tonight."

"No no no no no!" Ella protested, kicking her mother as she was taken up the stairs.

"Ella I need you to be gentle." Elizabeth moaned as she felt a huge amount of tenderness in her chest. "Mummy's very sore." She said as she moved Ella onto her hip.

"I sworry." Ella said, looking very sad with herself.

Elizabeth set her daughter on the changing table and grabbed some pajamas for her. "It's alright Ella it's not your fault." She said as she finished changing her daughter and getting her ready for bed. "Come on sweetie what book should we read tonight?"

"Post!" Ella said happily as Elizabeth went to retrieve Ella's favorite bedtime story.

"The Jolly Postman it is." She said with a smile.

* * *

Elizabeth was finally getting into bed around midnight. She sat under the covers for nearly half an hour before she sat up again. She reached for the phone and dialed a number that had been becoming increasingly familiar over the past month.

"Elizabeth?" Her mother's voice came back through the phone. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Elizabeth was doing her best to keep her tears at bay. "Mum…" She said quietly.

Her mother's voice suddenly took a very different disposition. "Elizabeth what's going on?" She asked, clearly concerned for her daughter.

Elizabeth took a few deep breaths before speaking again. "I'm pregnant." She said quietly. She was greeted with a reply of silence on the other side of the line. "I'm sorry it's six AM there I don't know… I shouldn't have called you…"

"Elizabeth!" Her mother interjected. "Do you want me to come?"

Elizabeth thought about it for several moments before talking again. "I guess that's what I wanted when I called you… I wasn't exactly sure why I called I just knew I needed to."

"I'll catch the next flight to Chicago. Go to sleep I'll be there by the time you're getting up." Her mother said softly. "It's going to be alright Elizabeth." She assured her before saying goodbye and hanging up.

Elizabeth sighed, unsure of what she had just done, and she began to fall asleep.

* * *

Rachel woke up around seven in the morning to the sound of someone vomiting in the bathroom and someone screaming in the nursery. She yawned before grabbing her sweatshirt and throwing it on top of the tank top that she had slept in and heading up to Ella. "Good morning." She greeted her sister with a smile.

"Mummy sick!" Ella said sadly.

Rachel nodded as she picked up Ella. "Let's go downstairs, maybe watch some television?"

"Oswald!" Ella replied excitedly.

Rachel smiled as they headed down the stairs. "Oswald it is." She replied as she flipped on the television to Ella's favorite show about an octopus.

The two of them were sitting on the couch when the front door opened unexpectedly. Rachel let out a bloodcurdling scream at the sound and ran into the bathroom with Ella, locking the door behind her. Ella looked at her sister in shock, not understanding what was going on. Rachel was sitting on the floor clutching Ella to her chest, terrified of what could be going on. They sat there for nearly twenty minutes before there was a knocking on the door.

"Rachel it's Elizabeth, it's fine you can come out." Elizabeth's voice came through the door, sounding rather exhausted.

Rachel didn't respond, still shell-shocked from the incident but Ella spoke up. "Mummy!" She said excitedly as she wiggled her way out of Rachel's arms and towards the door. Ella wasn't quite tall enough to reach the handle so she settled for banging angrily on the door.

"Ella is Rachel with you?" Elizabeth asked her daughter gently as she felt above the door frame for the churchkey that would unlock the bathroom door.

"Mummy!" Ella insisted.

"Alright Ella, get away from the door so I can open it." Elizabeth instructed before she gently opened the door and retrieved her daughter from directly behind it. "Go to grandmum." Elizabeth told her daughter gently as she handed Ella to her mother. She then quickly sat down on the floor next to Rachel. "Rachel everything's alright. It was my mother who came in the door." She said gently as Rachel leaned into her, tears falling down her cheeks.

Elizabeth gently moved so that she was sitting against a wall so that she could support Rachel better. "Shhh… It's okay… It wasn't David. Nobody here wants to hurt you."

Elizabeth's mother gave her a strange look. "What is going on?" She asked clearly confused.

"It's a long story."

_**Author's Note: Wheeee! Another chapter and I just got ER season 10 so I'm likely to be writing almost all day! Please review!**_


	11. The Unknown Past

Several hours later Elizabeth, Isabelle, and Rachel were sitting at the table. Rachel was sipping a cup of tea, which she was staring intently into. Elizabeth had just finished explaining everything that had happened over the past few days to her mother.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth said gently as she ran her fingers through her hair. "We should take you to the hospital."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't want to go…"

Elizabeth sighed and took her hand in hers. "Rachel I'm not really asking here. County has an accredited mental facility and they can help you…"

"I don't want to go!" Rachel insisted, this time throwing the teacup across the room, narrowly missing Ella playing in the corner. Rachel sat in a shocked silence before bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry… I'm so so sorry…" She said softly before running and slamming the door to her room.

"Mother would you stay here with Ella please?" Elizabeth asked as she ran up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Her mother called after her.

"Rachel needs help, now." Elizabeth explained as she quickly put on a pair of jeans and a sweater. "She's probably experiencing a form of PTSD and she needs treatment as soon as possible if she's going to get better anytime soon." She said as she grabbed a duffel bag from under the stairs and began to pack some things for Rachel, clothes from the laundry room and toiletries from the bathroom. "Could you get my copy of Pride and Prejudice from the bookshelf?" She called to her mother, as she packed her own purse.

As soon as Elizabeth was ready to go she took their things out to the van before going to Rachel's room and opening the door. "Rachel… You need to get up so we can go." Elizabeth said gently as she picked up a pair of boots for her from her closet. "Come on… this is going to help you feel a lot better than you do right now."

Rachel was visibly shaking on her bed as she attempted to get up.

"Are you cold?" Elizabeth asked gently as she helped put the boots on. Rachel shook her head indicating the negative. "Alright come on." She said as she helped her get up from the bed, and wrapped her arm around her shoulders for support. Elizabeth sighed inwardly. _For Mark…_She thought as she helplessly looked for a reason to keep trying.

(Insert Break Line)

Elizabeth was pacing the hallways waiting for any sort of news on Rachel. She was sick to her stomach and wasn't sure if it was due to the pregnancy or her nervous she was about Rachel. She was rapidly turning a corner when she ran into Romano.

"Lizzie!" He exclaimed as he dropped the files he was carrying. "Now look what you've done!" He said in a rather joking manner, but Elizabeth didn't take it that way.

She immediately had tears rushing down her face. "I'm sorry…" She muttered before quickly turning around and going the other way.

"Lizzie!" He called after her as he ran to catch up with her, abandoning the files in the hallway. "Hey…" He said gently as he grabbed onto her shoulder to stop her.

She turned around, her face showing a huge mix of emotions. "I'm sorry Robert." She said, not willing to look at him.

"It's alright…" He said as he awkwardly hugged her.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry… I just…"

Robert shook his head indicating he understood what she was trying to say. "It's alright. You shouldn't be trying to do this by yourself."

Elizabeth stepped out of the hug and wiped her tears. "It's the estrogen…" She tried to explain as she awkwardly looked at Robert for the first time.

"Hey… What are you even doing here?" He asked as they began walking down the hallway toward the stairwell.

Elizabeth sighed as they began walking up the stairs. "Rachel was just admitted to psych." She began to explain. "She's showing signs of PTSD and she's becoming violent at home."

"Is everyone okay?" Robert asked, genuinely concerned.

Elizabeth nodded. "Ella almost became a human target for a teacup this morning but other than that…"

"You're doing the right thing here Elizabeth." Robert assured her as they arrived on the roof.

"I know that… That's why I'm doing this." Elizabeth replied, clearly frustrated. "But that doesn't mean that I don't question it every time I put myself or Ella at risk."

"Mark would have…" Robert began.

Elizabeth immediately retreated from the conversation. "Don't you dare talk about Mark… Don't you dare use him as a playing card in this stupid game we're playing here."

"He's her father…" Robert tried to point out.

"HE'S DEAD ROBERT!" Elizabeth screamed. "HE DIED AND INSTEAD OF LEAVING ME WITH ONE OF HIS CHILDREN LIKE I THOUGHT SUDDENLY I HAVE THREE OF THEM! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THREE CHILDREN BY MYSELF!"

"Are you finished?" Robert asked several minutes later.

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm just… I'm really pissed off."

"At your dead husband?" Robert asked, trying to confirm he was understanding.

Elizabeth nodded. "It sounds ridiculous… But he's left me with all of these things to deal with… At first I was concerned about dealing with his _stuff_. I was worried about the _stuff_. It turns out that the entire time I was pissed off about that I probably should have been freaking out about the sudden gain of two children I would receive a month later."

"You're not alone you know that right?" Robert said gently as he led her to a bench to sit down. "There are people here who are going to help you get through this… If we haven't proven that over the last couple of days I don't know what we've shown."

Elizabeth looked down at her fidgeting hands. "I know that Robert…" Elizabeth said, feeling ashamed of herself.

"Don't feel bad Elizabeth…" Robert tried to comfort her.

Elizabeth shook her head before getting up. "But I do Robert. I feel bad every time something happens that I know Mark would have prevented. I feel bad every second that I feel pissed off at my husband for dying. And I feel bad that I can't even bother to try to figure out what else I possibly missed before he died that we could have dealt with together."

"You know everybody has a past Elizabeth." Robert pointed out. "Sometimes that past doesn't come to light until you least expect it."

"So you're saying I just have all of this unknown past to deal with the after effects of?" She asked angrily. "How is that fair?"

"Nobody ever said life was fair." Robert pointed out, which earned him a slight punch on his arm. "You hit like a girl." He replied which earned him a powerful slap across the face. "Alright… never mind…. Elizabeth I'm sorry… this has happened to you it's hard to understand how come so many things can seem to sneak up on you at once."

"Apologizing does nothing Robert." Elizabeth pointed out as they reached the psych ward. "I need to check on Rachel… See if her consult is finished and what treatment they're recommending."

"Let me know." Robert said before continuing down the stairs to the ER.

"I will."

(Insert Break Line)

"I want to go home Elizabeth… I'm really sorry about this morning… I didn't mean to hurt you or Ella…" Rachel was begging as Elizabeth looked over her chart.

"Rachel you're staying here for a few days before you're outpatient." Elizabeth said looking at the orders on the chart.

Rachel shook her head and she began to get up. "I'm going home with you…"

"No Rachel you're not." Elizabeth said gently as she helped her lie back down. "You're very sick and I can't take care of you by myself right now. I'll visit you every day but you're going to spend nights here for a few days."

"Someone came in through the front door! Are you trying to tell me that that wasn't an acceptable reaction?" Rachel asked angrily.

Elizabeth shook her head. "For you after all you've been through that is the most likely reaction. But that can't be how you spend the rest of your life Rachel. You have a whole life in front of you and I want you to actually be able to take advantage of it."

Rachel looked up at her, her eyes brimming with hurt. "It's okay… I understand that you can't do anything to make me better. I'll just stay here."

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried to apologize.

"GET OUT!" Rachel screamed angrily.

Elizabeth sighed before making her way to the hallway. She leaned against the wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor with her face in her hands. _What am I supposed to be doing here? Is this even what Mark would have wanted for her? Why is his past… my problem…_

_**Author's Note: TITLE HAPPENED! What nobody saw that coming… I didn't actually think I would put it in this chapter but then I did :) Still sick so I will be continuing to write all night! Probably at least one more chapter today. Please Review!**_


	12. Rachel's Home

***Two Months Later***

"Elizabeth Rachel just called from the hospital!" Her mother's voice came from down the stairs.

Elizabeth angrily went down the stairs, still dressed in her pajamas. "I know she's being discharged today. Tell her I'll be there in less than an hour."

"Elizabeth you aren't going anywhere without real trousers on." Her mother scolded her.

"If you can find some trousers that are going to accommodate this," She said pointing to her now protruding belly, "Then I'll be more than happy to wear them. I seem to have gotten huge overnight."

"Elizabeth there's a child in there of course it's getting larger." Her mother pointed out.

"Well I know that!" Elizabeth replied crankily. "Look I need to go get Rachel as soon as possible so if you could take care of Ella until I get back…"

"That is why I came… to help." She pointed out.

"Awesome… Then help!" Elizabeth replied before running back up the stairs and pulling down a box that contained her old maternity scrubs from a top shelf of her closet. She sighed as she pulled on a pair and pulled her hair back into the fastest ponytail she could manage. Elizabeth then made her way down the stairs and back into the kitchen.

"Alright Mother if you take Ella outside please remember that this is November in Chicago not England so there's snow outside. Make sure to put on her coat and hat." Elizabeth said as she put on her own.

"Yes Mummy." Her mother teased her.

"You really don't want to go down that path with me right now." Elizabeth warned.

"Calm down." Her mother tried to calm her that simply.

Elizabeth put her hands up. "Alright if you think it's that simple for me to simply put the hormones at bay I'll go ahead and do it." She said sarcastically before heading out to the car.

"Tell Rachel we say hello!" Isabelle called after her.

"Tell her yourself when we get home!"

* * *

Elizabeth made her way up to the second floor without being stopped by anyone so she headed directly to the discharge desk. "I'm here for Rachel Greene." She informed the woman at the desk.

"Relationship?" She asked, clearly uninterested.

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm her step-mother. She knows I'm coming, she's waiting for me."

She nodded and typed a few things into her computer. "Alright I'll have someone bring her out for you."

Elizabeth nodded and went to sit in the chairs. Several minutes later Rachel came out of the locked metal doors, looking healthier than Elizabeth had seen her in weeks.

Rachel saw Elizabeth sitting in the chairs and dropped her bags and ran over to her. Elizabeth gently pulled Rachel into a hug that she hadn't been expecting. "I'm so proud of you." Elizabeth said softly as she ran her fingers through Rachel's hair. They stood there for several minutes before Elizabeth pulled away gently. "Ella's excited to see you."

Rachel nodded. "I'm excited to see her too." She admitted as she went back to pick up her duffel bag and backpack. "You're… you're actually…" Rachel said awkwardly as she eyed Elizabeth's stomach.

"Carrying a child? I've noticed." Elizabeth said smartly. "Let's get you home."

* * *

"Rachel!" Ella said excitedly as she saw her older sister walk through the door.

"Ella you're walking really well!" Rachel said excitedly as she set her things down next to her bedroom door.

"Play babies?" Ella asked excitedly.

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Sure." She said, trying to get back into the mood of the house.

"Rachel you don't have to if you don't feel up to it…" Elizabeth tried to help her.

Rachel shook her head. "No it's fine." She assured her.

Elizabeth nodded. "Would you mind watching Ella, my mother's stepped out to the shop and I would love to get a shower in…"

"Sure." Rachel said with a smile. She could sense Elizabeth's weariness in the situation. "I promise it'll be okay."

Elizabeth nodded before heading up the stairs.

"Where are your babies?" Rachel asked Ella who quickly led her to the couch where three dolls were sitting. "Do they have names?" Ella nodded, suddenly acting very shy. "Well…" She began as she picked up the first one. "Who is this?"

"Lizzie." Ella said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Like mommy?" She questioned, to which she received a nod. "What about this? Is he a boy?" Ella nodded again. "What's his name?"

"Mark." Ella said, jumping between her two legs.

"Just like daddy." Rachel said with a smile. "How about this one?" She asked picking up the final doll. Ella giggled and took the doll from her and pointed to Rachel.

"Rachel?" She asked with a smile, which Ella nodded to. "Wow I get a whole baby doll named after me? What did I do to deserve that?"

"Sissy!" Ella exclaimed before clapping her hands together.

"That's right I _am_ your sister." Rachel affirmed before picking up the boy doll. "How is Mark feeling?" She asked her sister.

"Sad." Ella informed her automatically.

"Awww." Rachel said sympathetically. "Why is Mark sad?"

"Rachel's sick." Ella said seriously.

Rachel could feel tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong with Rachel?"

Ella leaned in to listen to the Rachel doll tell her what's wrong. "Rachel very sad."

"Hey…" Rachel said as she gently picked up Ella. "I'm okay Ella… I was gone for a little bit because I wasn't handling some things well but I'm back."

"Daddy's birthday." She said rather accusatorily.

Rachel sighed. "Sweetie I know I missed some things you wanted me to be here for but it's going to get better. I'm doing a lot better than I was."

"No sad?" Ella asked hopefully.

Rachel tried to figure out how to explain it in a way Ella would understand. "I still get sad about things sometimes… But when I am… I know how to deal with it a lot better than I used to."

"Are you sad?" Ella asked curiously.

"A little bit." Rachel admitted. "I miss our daddy a lot and I wish he was going to be here for this holiday."

"Turkey!" Ella said excitedly as she remembered Thanksgiving was coming up.

Rachel nodded. "That's right, Thanksgiving is next week. Have you made a pudding turkey yet this year?"

Ella shook her head no. "Pudding?" She asked hopefully.

"Well there's no time like the present to get started." Rachel said with a smile as she set down the baby doll and picked up her sister. They went into the kitchen where Rachel set Ella down on the counter. "Chocolate or Fudge?" Rachel asked her sister when she opened the cabinet containing the pudding mixes.

"Fudge!" Ella said happily and Rachel retrieved the box and a bowl.

"Do you know where mommy keeps the construction paper?" Rachel asked as she mixed the pudding together. Ella shook her head no. "Alright I bet I can find some with your coloring supplies which are in the den." She replied, picking her sister up off the counter before heading to the den. "Here we go…" She said as she found several pieces of construction paper. "What color do you want Ella?"

"Orange!" She said excitedly as she pointed out the piece of paper she wanted.

"Orange it is." Rachel affirmed before taking Ella and putting her on a chair next to the kitchen table. She then grabbed the bowl of pudding and set it next to her sister. "Okay so now you're going to put your hands into it like this…" She showed her sister who tried to protest.

"Messy!" Ella informed her quickly.

Rachel smiled. "It's alright we're going to lick our fingers when we're done." She said with a smile as she showed Ella where to press her hands against the paper. "Look at that you made a turkey!" She said enthusiastically to her sister. Ella giggled and licked her fingers before grabbing a handful of pudding. "Okay now you're being messy." Rachel informed her.

Ella shook her head. "Yummy." She informed Rachel.

"Ella your mom's not going to be very happy if you're entirely covered in chocolate by the time she gets down here." Rachel informed her as she grabbed Ella and took her over to the sink. "We can eat some more of the pudding with a spoon after we wash you up."

Elizabeth was leaning against the doorframe watching her daughters with a smile. "Don't stop the fun on my account." She said finally as she watched Rachel dry Ella's hands off.

"Elizabeth!" Rachel said, partially shocked. "Sorry… I probably should have asked first…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No don't worry about it. You did beautifully with Ella." She said as she picked up her daughter. "Ella did you have fun with Rachel?" Elizabeth asked her as she took a spoonful of pudding and put it in her mouth. Rachel sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "Are you okay?"

Rachel shook her head. "I'm sorry…" She said softly before getting up and going into the living room.

"Ella mummy needs to talk to Rachel for a minute. If I turn on Clifford for you will you sit quietly?" Elizabeth asked her daughter quietly. Ella nodded importantly and Elizabeth set her in front of the television with her favorite show playing.

Rachel was pacing up and down the hallway upstairs when Elizabeth found her. "Hey…" Elizabeth said softly as she gently took her arm. "What's the matter?"

Rachel took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I don't know how to explain it… But it's really hard for me to adjust back to this…"

"It's okay…" Elizabeth assured her. "What can I do to help?"

Rachel sat down on the floor of the hallway. "I just… I need a clean slate here…"

"Rachel you know that I don't blame you for what's happened…" Elizabeth said as she sat down next to her.

Rachel nodded. "I want to take everything out of my room and reprioritize it… I hid so many things in there… I don't even want to think about them…" She admitted softly.

"Drugs?" Elizabeth asked, knowing it was likely.

Rachel nodded. "I don't want to have to go through all of that by myself… It'll probably take several hours but I just want everything gone…"

Elizabeth nodded. "Let's do this…" She affirmed.

_**Author's Note: WHOOPS I WROTE A FLUFFY CHAPTER… That Actually had a lot of story progression… You go self… Okay I hope you all like it :D Please review!**_


	13. Unexpected

Rachel was finally going into her room after Elizabeth and Isabelle had spent several weeks cleaning out her room. She had been sleeping on the couch in the living room, not wanting to deal with everything that she had left in there once upon a time. Elizabeth was going on twenty-six weeks pregnant and was as uncomfortable as ever, making the process take longer than was explicitly necessary.

"Wow." She breathed as she looked around, actually able to see the floor and furniture.

"Quite the improvement isn't it?" Elizabeth said as she rested her hand on her stomach.

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Thank you so much for this Elizabeth… I'm sorry I asked you for anything else…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Don't mention it Rachel. You've worked so hard to get to where you are now that taking illegal substances from your bedroom for you doesn't seem like that big of a price to pay." She said with a smile before hugging the teen that she had begun to think of as her own. "Look I've got to get in today or else Romano is going to throw a fit."

"Do you want me to watch Ella today?" She asked as she looked at her books, most of which she had forgotten about, lined up along her bookshelf.

"That would be lovely. My mother is leaving for the airport this evening and would probably like to actually pack her things before she gets up and leaves the country." Elizabeth said with a smile. "I should be back fairly early this evening, we can hopefully go pick out a Christmas tree."

"It seems ridiculous that Christmas is so soon… It seems like only yesterday I came here but it was really three months ago…" Rachel said under her breath as she looked around her room. "Was this room always this nice?" She asked with a smirk.

"Ha very funny." Elizabeth said with a grin. "I'll be back by five at the latest." She assured her as she grabbed her coat and purse from by the front door. "Ella's still asleep I think she might be coming down with something. If she complains of cold symptoms there's Children's Tylenol in the medicine cabinet."

"Of course." Rachel nodded, showing she understood.

It was less than half an hour later when Ella began screaming upstairs. "Hey Ella…" Rachel said softly as she opened the door to the nursery. "How are you feeling?"

"Ouch." Ella said softly as she rubbed her throat.

"Ahh… You're mother's right. You don't look very well Ella. Should we get you some medicine to make you feel better?" Ella nodded and they headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

* * *

"Lizzie you're on for the ER today." Robert said as he poked his head into Elizabeth's office.

"I know Robert." Elizabeth said impatiently as she rubbed her stomach.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm fine… The baby's just kicking me a bit harder than I would like." She said as she got up.

"Are you sure…" Robert began one more time.

"Robert!" Elizabeth said angrily. "I'm going to go to the ER and you're going to leave me alone. Understood?" Robert nodded as she walked past him and to the elevator.

Once she reached the ER she headed to the admit desk. "Kerry what's going on today?"

"It's actually been rather quiet." She said uninterested. "No trauma calls, no accidents, no epidemics… Quiet board."

"A quiet board is a bad thing Kerry." Carter pointed out as he walked over to the desk.

Within the next five minutes, Susan, Jing-Mei, Abby, and Luka had joined them at the desk.

"Alright seriously do we have a closed sign out front or what?" Susan asked after several moments of awkward silence.

"If we do we should really keep it there." Jerry quipped as he took a bite of a doughnut from the box on the counter.

Elizabeth sighed from the stool she was sitting on. "Would all of you just shut up?" She asked angrily. "A quiet board means something bad is about to roll in so just shut up and wait for it!"

Jing-Mei and Abby gave each other knowing looks while Carter and Luka avoided eye contact.

Everyone sat in silence for several minutes, watching the news, waiting for anything to happen. Things were looking fairly clam until the news broadcast was suddenly interrupted. "Breaking News: Large boat crash on the Chicago River claims at least thirty lives with nearly fifty injured."

"I told you." Carter and Elizabeth said at the same time as everyone began to prepare for the incoming traumas.

"Carter, Chen, and Kovac each grab two interns a piece and take incoming traumas that are unlikely to need a surgical consult. Lewis take Corday with you and get on the first surgical case you see." Kerry instructed quickly as the nurses began to move back into action. "Jerry tell them we can take ten criticals five minors."

"Are you sure?" He asked surprised by the high numbers.

"We just spent the last twenty minutes sitting around waiting for something to do… Of course I'm sure!" She replied sarcastically. "I'm going to try to get Robert down here so that we can have multiple surgical consults at the same time." She said as she headed for the elevator.

Everyone else had made their way to the ambulance bay and they were waiting for their patients to roll in.

"Are you sure you want to wait out here? It's freezing." Susan asked Elizabeth gently.

Elizabeth sighed. "I wish people would stop treating me like I'm about to break."

"Oh I'm not doubting that you can wait out here, I just know that if I were as pregnant as you are I wouldn't…" Susan tried to explain, only to be greeted by Elizabeth's glaring eyes. "Right… sorry." She apologized before crossing her arms.

Two minutes later the ambulances began to pull in, the first one with an obvious surgical case. "Thirteen year old female with several shards of glass embedded within the abdomen."

"Is she breathing on her own?" Susan asked the paramedic as she helped to roll the gurney into Trauma 1.

"Yes and fully conscious." They pointed out as they nodded down to the patient.

Elizabeth looked down at the girl. "What's your name sweetie?" She asked gently as she took her hand.

"Melissa… Melissa Tarver." She said between heavy breaths.

"Alright Melissa we're going to take very good care of you." Elizabeth told her. "Are you in a lot of pain?" She asked to which she received a nod. "Okay Melissa hang in there for just a moment." She said gently as she began to do an examination on the patient.

"Susan do you think we should sedate her before I examine the abdomen?" Elizabeth asked trying to listen to lung sounds.

"I think the more information she can give us the more likely any operation is going to be successful." Susan replied as she took Melissa's pulse.

"I need surgery?" Melissa asked, clearly terrified.

Elizabeth nodded. "I know it's scary but you have large pieces of glass inside of your abdomen. If they shift too much you could begin to bleed out."

"Where's my mommy?" Melissa asked, clearly terrified.

"Was your mother on the boat with you?" Susan asked her as they quickly worked around her, trying to prep her for surgery. Melissa nodded.

"Alright Melissa I know you want your mother but this surgery can't wait." Elizabeth told her gently as she put back up the side bar to the gurney. "I'm going to get Doctor Romano to help me with your surgery alright?" Melissa shook her head. "I can't do this by myself Melissa I'm going to need some help."

"Aren't you a good surgeon?" She asked, clearly terrified.

Elizabeth smiled. "I'm an excellent surgeon Melissa but I am also over six months pregnant. I can't perform long or difficult procedures by myself." Melissa nodded showing that she understood. "If it makes you feel any better if I needed surgery I would want Romano to perform it himself." Melissa smiled.

"Alright Melissa we're going to begin sedation so that we can get you into surgery as soon as possible." Susan said gently as they began to give her the medications. "Elizabeth are you good to help me with transporting?" Elizabeth nodded, seeming slightly distracted. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes… Yes I'm fine…" She said shaking it off as she helped Susan push the gurney into the hallway. "We need her chart…" Elizabeth pointed out as she helped Susan move the gurney to the side of the hallway. "I'll grab it." She said as she quickly turned around and headed toward the admit desk.

She was nearly there when she heard a large noise coming from behind her.

"WATCH OUT!" A paramedic shouted as they barreled down the hallway, directly toward the spot where Elizabeth stood. They tried desperately to stop the gurney but weren't successful until after Elizabeth was shoved back several feet.

"Elizabeth!" Susan called from down the hallway.

Elizabeth shook her head as she clutched her stomach. "I'm fine I'll be there in a moment." She dismissed the pain.

"I'm so sorry Doctor…" The paramedic said awkwardly.

"Watch where you're going." Elizabeth snapped before going back to help Susan transport Melissa.

* * *

"Langenbeck." Romano requested, asking for a specific scalpel.

"Hmmm?" Elizabeth asked as she pressed her bloodied glove to her side and kept her eyes closed.

"Elizabeth!" Romano yelled angrily. "Wake up or get out."

"Robert…" She began before she felt a large pain gather around her abdomen. "Oh…" She winced as she bit her lip.

"Elizabeth?" He asked suddenly concerned for his colleague.

"Damn." She whispered under her breath.

"Elizabeth are you having contractions?" He asked directly, entirely distracted from the surgery in front of him.

Elizabeth nodded, completely terrified.

"Shirley get a wheelchair in here and call Abby up!" He yelled as he distractedly got back to work on the surgery in front of him.

"I can walk… Really I'm fine…" Elizabeth tried to insist before another contraction gripped her attention again. "Robert make sure she survives." Elizabeth insisted as Shirley took her out to the hallway.

"Abby will be up here in a minute." Shirley said gently. "Do you need anything?"

Elizabeth shook her head. _I can't believe this is happening… again._

_**Author's Note: Whoops… I wrote some more… Didn't see that one coming… I do eventually have to start studying for finals but you know… WHO CARES!? Please Review!**_


	14. Getting To The Hospital

"Doctor Weaver!" Abby called through the crowded and busy ER. "Doctor Weaver!" She attempted to get her attention again.

"Abby this better be important!" Kerry replied as she made her way through the people all over the ER. "What do you need?"

Abby sighed as soon as they were able to hear each other. "Doctor Corday is in Exam 4 with preterm labor."

"Well Doctor Corday is an experienced physician I'm sure she can handle the patient." Kerry replied before moving on to look at a nearby patient.

"No… Doctor Weaver…" She tried again, this time surrounded with med students and other doctors. "Doctor Corday is _in _Exam 4 _with_ preterm labor."

Kerry's eyes dilated slightly as she took in the meaning of what she was saying. They quickly began walking toward Exam 4. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Shirley called me from the OR. Apparently Corday started having contractions during the surgery." Abby said quickly before Kerry pushed open the door.

"Alright Elizabeth how are you feeling?" Kerry asked gently as she looked at the stats on the fetal monitor.

Elizabeth was wincing in pain as a contraction rolled through her body. "Dammit Kerry push the terbutaline!"

"Chuney…" Kerry began to give the instructions.

"I'm already on it." She replied gently as she added the medication to Elizabeth's IV.

"Is there anyone you want me to call?" Kerry asked her gently.

Elizabeth waited for the contraction to subside before speaking up. "Call Rachel… I told her I'd be home nearly three hours ago and my mother is probably on her way to the airport by now."

"Are you sure you don't want me to try to get ahold of your mother?" Kerry suggested.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I honestly can't handle her for any longer."

"Elizabeth you'll probably be on bed rest for a while." Abby reminded her.

Elizabeth gripped onto the rail on the side of the bed. "Look… I don't want my mother here alright… I am barely twenty-eight weeks pregnant with my dead husband's child. Can't you just respect my requests?"

Abby nodded before heading out of the room to call Rachel.

* * *

"Ella mommy should be home soon." Rachel said gently as she tried to calm down the crying toddler. Finally she heard the phone ringing and she ran to the kitchen to pick up the phone. "Elizabeth?!" She asked hopefully.

"Rachel it's Abby." Abby's voice came through the receiver.

Rachel sighed. "Please tell me that Elizabeth's asking you to tell me she's on her way here…"

"Rachel I need you to stay calm." Abby said gently. "Elizabeth went into preterm labor in the OR a couple of hours ago."

"Is she okay?!" Rachel asked, instantly concerned for her step-mother's safety.

"She's scared and in a lot of pain but it looks likely that we'll be able to stop the contractions." Abby explained gently. "You should probably try to get here if you can…"

Rachel shook her head becoming stressed quickly. "I can't take Ella on the El by myself…" She muttered.

"Elizabeth's likely to be admitted overnight in OB." Abby said gently.

Rachel didn't respond for a moment, trying to think through the situation. "Is Susan there?" She asked after several moments.

"Yes… I'll need a couple of minutes to find her…" Abby said as she began to look around the ER.

Rachel sat and waited. She went and picked up Ella and brought her into the kitchen with her. "Ella shhh…. We're going to go to mommy soon." She tried to quiet her sister.

"Rachel?" Susan's voice came over the speaker phone.

"Susan can you come get me and Ella?" Rachel asked, sounding rather desperate.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked, not knowing anything about the situation.

"You don't know?" Rachel asked, having assumed Susan would have been informed.

"Well… If I knew I probably wouldn't be as confused right now as I am." Susan pointed out.

"Elizabeth is in preterm labor." Rachel replied quickly. "Abby called wanting to know if we could get there but there's no way I can take Ella on the El by myself. I just need someone to come up on the El and help me get Ella to the hospital with me. It doesn't have to be you I just didn't know who else I should ask in this situation."

"Rachel calm down." Susan instructed. "I'm going to go check on Elizabeth and then I'll drive there and pick both of you up alright?"

"Thank you Susan." Rachel said as they hung up the phone. "Alright Ella we're going to go see mom." She said as she picked up her younger sister.

* * *

"Elizabeth?" Susan asked as she knocked on the door to Exam 4.

"Please just…" Elizabeth began to beg.

"Elizabeth I'm going to go get Rachel and Ella so they can come here." Susan cut her off. "Is there anything you want me to get from your house while I'm there?"

Elizabeth moaned. "Get Mark…" she muttered under her breath.

Susan bit her lip and moved over to Elizabeth. "I'm really sorry Elizabeth." She said softly as she took her hand, allowing for Elizabeth to let out some of the pressure. "That's it… squeeze… Yep the contraction is almost over… There you go…"

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth said softly as she wiped away her tears. "I really shouldn't be this emotional."

"Elizabeth you're fine…" Susan dismissed it. "I promise you that I'll be right back with Ella and Rachel."

Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you." She whispered as Susan slipped out to leave.

* * *

"No Ella we don't have time to watch Clifford right now." Rachel told Ella gently as she tried to keep her occupied until Susan could arrive.

"NOW!" Ella insisted as she ran back over to the television. "Clifford." She insisted.

"Ella please." Rachel was begging, at the end of her rope. "Not right now."

"Where's mummy?" Ella asked angrily.

"Mom's at the hospital." Rachel said gently. "We're going to go spend tonight at the hospital… It will be like a sleepover alright?"

"No!" Ella replied angrily. "Stay here!"

It was then that Susan knocked on the door. "Rachel?" her voice came through the door.

Rachel got up and ran to the door. "Is mo- Elizabeth doing alright?"

Susan sighed. "She's scared and in a lot of pain but I think she's going to be okay." She informed her. "Does Ella understand what's happening?"

Rachel shook her head. "I haven't told her anything other than that we're going to the hospital so that we can see Elizabeth but nothing else."

"Alright." Susan sighed as she picked up Ella. "Hello Miss Ella. Do you want to go for a drive in my car?" She asked her with more excitement than necessary.

"Clifford…" Ella said sadly as she pointed to the television.

"What if I tell you that you can watch Clifford once we get to the hospital?" Susan suggested.

"Okay!" Ella replied excitedly.

Susan smiled. "Sorry she just likes me I guess." She said with a smirk.

"Ha… Very funny." Rachel said unamused as they headed out to the car.

* * *

"Mummy!" Ella exclaimed as she tried to squirm from Susan's arms when they arrived in Exam 4. Susan tried desperately to hang on to the toddler without success. She eventually put her down and watched as she scurried over to Elizabeth's bed.

Elizabeth smiled slightly, trying to ignore the subsiding pain. "Hello Ella."

"Ella don't…" Rachel said gently as she pulled Ella off from the bed as she was trying to climb on.

"It's alright." Elizabeth dismissed it, the pain finally gone for the moment.

"Elizabeth are you...?" Rachel began to ask her.

Elizabeth sighed. "They're shorter and less frequent but still fairly painful." She said as she pulled Ella close to her chest. "Hello Ella, how are you doing?"

"Owie?" She asked her mother intently.

Elizabeth nodded. "The baby is a little confused and is trying to come earlier than it should." She told her gently as she ran her hand through her daughter's hair.

"Bad baby!" Ella insisted as she tried to move up on her mother's lap.

"No Ella…. Ella!" Elizabeth scolded as she tried to move her persistent daughter.

"I've got her." Rachel volunteered as she picked up a now crying Ella.

"Baby! Stop it! Stop it!" Ella was crying into Rachel's shoulder.

"It's okay Ella. The baby isn't doing it on purpose." Rachel told her gently. "Elizabeth I'm going to take her to get some juice… Try to calm her down…" She explained. When she received a nod from Elizabeth she headed back out into the ER.

"How's Elizabeth doing?" Abby asked her as they passed.

"Uh… Okay?" Rachel asked, still trying to take in everything that was happening at once. "I'm sorry I just don't really…"

"It's alright Rachel. Don't get too stressed out." Abby told her gently. "If you need a break the nurses' lounge is empty on the third floor."

Rachel nodded. "Thank You." Ella was squirming in her arms. "Ella do you want some juice?" She asked her as they moved to the elevator. Ella nodded shyly. "How about Apple?" She suggested.

"No grape." Ella muttered into Rachel's shoulder.

"Alright grape sounds good." Rachel agreed. "We should stop at the cafeteria to get this huh?" She asked with a smile.

Ella nodded. "Goldfish?"

Rachel hummed in agreement. "Goldfish do sound good don't they?" Ella nodded again. "Alright let's see what we can do about your hungry tummy." She said with a slight tickle to Ella's stomach.

"Mummy?" She asked hopefully.

"Then we'll go back to mom." Rachel assured her.

_**Author's Note: Alright that's it for this week most likely. I have finals so… No writing until Friday at the EARLIEST… Please Review!**_


	15. Fathers

"I want mummy!" Ella said crankily as Rachel ate a bowl of corn flakes.

Rachel sighed and dug into her backpack. "Here why don't you color this?" She suggested as she pulled out a coloring book and a box of crayons.

"NO!" Ella replied angrily as she picked up the crayons and threw them across the room, spreading them everywhere.

"Ella that was very naughty!" Rachel exclaimed as quietly as possible. "We don't throw things, especially not at the hospital!"

"I want mummy!" Ella insisted angrily this time spilling Rachel's bowl and its remaining soggy corn flakes and milk.

"Ella!" Rachel exclaimed in surprise. "No!"

"I hate you!" Ella replied, this time with a giggle.

"Ella that's not okay." Rachel said, growing more and more frustrated. Ella had started to pick up on more and more words lately, unfortunately the majority of them were things you wish a two year old wouldn't pick up on.

"You're stupid!" Ella replied, still giggling.

"Alright!" Rachel replied, shoving the coloring book back into her backpack and standing. She swung the backpack on and grabbed her little sister who immediately began to protest.

"NO NO NO NO NO!" Ella screamed into her ear as she squirmed angrily.

"Ella!" Rachel scolded as quietly as she could as they entered the hallway. She could tell they were disturbing other patients' families. "Ella we're at the hospital you have to be quiet." She tried only to be responded to with a series of punches and kicks. She realized it was time to try a different approach. She thought about it for several moments before saying quietly. "Hey Ella do you remember when we would come and visit daddy?" Ella nodded, still making an angry noise. "Do you remember what he asked you to do?" Ella shook her head this time. "Mouth closed, eyes and ears open." She said gently.

Ella's face lit up for a moment before she started to quietly cry into Rachel's shirt. "Daddy." She said softly.

"Oh Ella… I'm sorry sweetie… I know you miss daddy…" Rachel comforted her, taking a seat in one of the chairs in the main hospital waiting room.

"I want daddy." Ella cried sadly into her sister's shoulder.

Rachel felt helpless. "I'm sorry…" She said gently before remembering something that was in her backpack. "Hey I have something that might make you feel better." She said, trying to calm Ella down. She reached into her backpack and pulled out Ella's favorite picture of her and her father. "Here you go sweetie." She said gently as Ella's small fists grabbed the edges of the photograph.

"Daddy…" Ella said softy, her tantrum translating into exhaustion.

Rachel waited a few minutes before she could obviously tell Ella had fallen asleep. She was trying to think through what her next move was going to be when Abby walked through.

"Rachel!" Abby said, sounding relieved.

"Is something wrong?" Rachel asked quietly, trying not to wake her sister who was sleeping on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth's contractions still haven't stopped." Abby reported quietly. "We're starting her on magnesium."

Rachel nodded. "Does she want us to be there or would she rather…?" She tried to communicate.

"Is there anyone you can call for her other than her mother?" Abby asked her, trying to figure out the best course of action.

Rachel thought about it. "Well… Neither Elizabeth or Mark had any siblings… I guess there's her father?" She suggested awkwardly.

Abby nodded. "I'll see if I can get into contact with him. I don't want you to have to deal with this by yourself Rachel. It's too much pressure and stress for you to be in charge of everything by yourself."

Rachel shook her head. "It's okay I really don't want to put him out…"

"Rachel you're only fifteen…" Abby pointed out. "I'm going to call her parents alright?"

Rachel couldn't help but nod.

* * *

Elizabeth was biting her lip, trying to keep from vocalizing the pain.

"It's okay to…" Susan tried to point out noticing the bite mark on her lip.

"I don't want to wake them up." Elizabeth insisted, nodding toward Rachel who was on a gurney across the room and Ella who was asleep in an extra pediatric gurney.

Susan smiled gently. "I don't think they'll feel too bad about it."

"Ella's very cranky lately. There's no reason to have her getting less sleep than…" She began before another contraction started. "Make them stop… Please… this is way too early for the baby…"

"Elizabeth we're doing the best we can to stop them, and they are shorter and further apart but you seem to be in the same amount of pain." Susan explained gently.

"I can't… have this baby… now." She grunted out.

"Elizabeth I called your parents they're on their way." Abby said softly.

Elizabeth looked at her desperately. "Both of them?" She asked, clearly concerned.

"Your mother was apparently visiting your father's hospital when I called. They both insisted on coming." Abby said sympathetically.

Elizabeth sighed. "I probably won't even be down here anymore by the time they get here."

"I'll send them upstairs." Abby said softly. "I'm sorry Elizabeth…" She awkwardly apologized.

She shook her head. "No… No more apologies… I just have to get through whatever this brings." Elizabeth said softly.

"Alright well you haven't had any contractions since we started the magnesium." Abby said gently. "We'll keep monitoring you and the baby until we're sure they've stopped. Then we can transfer you up to OB."

"Thank you Abby." Elizabeth said honestly.

* * *

"Elizabeth you should have called me!" She heard her mother's voice as her parents entered into her room in OB.

"Hello mother." She replied impatiently.

"I was still in the country when you went into _labor_ and you didn't call me!" Isabelle insisted on making it a problem.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I was a bit preoccupied."

Isabelle sighed. "Charles is downstairs trying to validate our parking."

"Mother I can do that for you, you know…" Elizabeth said clearly frustrated.

"Yes but your father doesn't." Isabelle replied, feeling rather smug with herself.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Don't you have someone else to annoy?" She asked as she pressed her fingers to her forehead.

"Elizabeth…" Her mother began to chastise her when Charles walked in.

"Elizabeth how are you feeling?" He asked her kindly as he took his daughter's hand.

Elizabeth sighed, trying not to let her emotions slip too much. "Relieved… Desperate… Abandoned… I'm not really sure how to process everything I'm feeling right now."

"Hey… It's going to be alright." Charles said gently. "We're here to help you get through this."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Dad… I don't want to be a burden…"

"You're not a burden Elizabeth." He replied immediately.

"You have a hospital to run… Mother has meetings to be at… Neither of you can afford to just drop everything to help me right now." Elizabeth replied softly. "I appreciate you dropping everything and coming here but what are people going to think?"

"It doesn't matter." He insisted.

"I used to work in that hospital… While it doesn't travel quite as quickly the gossip in that hospital cuts deep." Elizabeth pointed out. "They're going to think you ran off."

"Elizabeth you are our daughter." Her mother cut in. "Look I'm sorry if you don't want us here, but you clearly need the help."

"I'll find someone else to help!" She snapped angrily in response. "I don't want to ruin your lives just because mine is shattering before me!" That was what it took for Ella to wake up, crying desperately. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean it Ella." Elizabeth said gently as she took Ella from Rachel's arms.

"Daddy." Ella whimpered into Elizabeth's hair.

Elizabeth couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "I know Ella." She replied gently as she nuzzled into her small shoulder.

"Daddy I want daddy!" Ella insisted, continuing to struggle out of her mother's arms.

"Oh Ella…" Elizabeth said as Ella's foot connected with her side. "Ella stop!"

"DADDY!" Ella insisted, this time her fist connecting with her chest.

"Ella!" She yelled half in pain, half scolding her daughter. Ella finally made her release from Elizabeth's arms.

"Whoa there." Susan said gently as she carefully rescued Ella from her imminent fall from the bed. "Hey there you've got to be careful."

"DADDY DADDY DADDY!" Ella replied angrily, kicking against Susan as she held her.

Susan quickly took Ella out of the room. "Ella…" She said gently trying to calm her down. "You need to be gentle with mom." She said as Rachel joined them in the hallway.

"Ella mom's sorry." Rachel said gently as she took her sister from Susan. "The baby stressed her out a little bit and she's not able to handle as much as she usually can." Ella shoved her face into Rachel's shoulder. "It's okay you weren't trying to hurt her."

Several minutes later Ella was still screaming and crying, and she was quickly running out of breath and tears. "Susan what do we do?" Rachel asked, starting to panic. "She sounds like she's hyperventilating."

Susan shook her head, trying to recall anything she might have heard about how to calm her down. "Uh…" She said awkwardly trying not to let her panic get across. "Rub her ears." She said immediately.

"What?" Rachel asked confused.

"Like behind her ears, use your finger to rub it." Susan explained, half demonstrating on her own ear.

Rachel did as she was told and Ella began to breathe a bit more and cry a bit less. "How did you…?" She asked clearly confused.

Susan smiled. "Mark used to do that when he was watching Ella in the lounge." She said with a smile. "He really was a good father to Ella…" She said before cutting off. "I'm so sorry…"

Rachel shook her head. "It's okay Susan… I know he was trying to get everything right with her that he didn't get with me."

"Hey… you didn't turn out that bad." Susan said gently. "You got a crappy deal in your childhood but that doesn't mean that you turned out bad…"

Rachel shrugged. "I guess." She said quietly as she felt Ella being lulled to sleep in her arms. "There we go…" She said gently as she readjusted Ella in her arms. "I should take her back to Elizabeth." She said awkwardly.

"Are you okay Rachel?" Susan asked her, sensing an odd emotion.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm going to take her back to Elizabeth and head upstairs to talk with Angela."

"Angela?" Susan asked.

"My therapist." Rachel said, nothing more, before going back into Elizabeth's room to deliver the sleeping toddler.

_**Author's Note: WELL THAT GOT INTENSE… I actually wasn't planning that direction so… Whoops? Anyway sorry this update took so long I had finals this week so I didn't really have time to write throughout the week. BUT ITS WEEKEND TIMES SO GET PREPARED FOR MORE :D Please review!**_


	16. She's Important

Rachel was sitting cross-legged on a bed in psychiatry, tracing the lines on her hands for the hundredth time.

"Rachel?" She heard her name through the door as Angela's voice clearly came through.

"Come in." Rachel said quietly.

Angela opened the door and came in quietly. She sat down on the bed next to her. "So." She said gently.

"Sorry… I shouldn't have just dropped in like this…" Rachel said quietly.

"Rachel it's a good thing you came to see me." Angela assured her.

Rachel bit her lip. "Ella was screaming for Dad and I just didn't know what to do… I didn't want to think about him and so I just wanted her to stop. I didn't even care what happened to her I just wanted to stop thinking about it."

Angela took in a deep breath. "Did you do anything to Ella?" Rachel shook her head quickly. "That's good." She assured her. "I know you're scared of yourself Rachel but the fact that you were able to control yourself in a situation that was clearly stressful for you is a good sign."

Rachel shook her head. "I was so scared I would hurt her." She admitted. "I didn't want to make anyone else take care of her… And I just… She's so small and I don't know how to take care of her."

"Rachel you're fifteen you don't have to know exactly how to take care of her." Angela assured her. "You did the best that you could and that's all anybody could ask of you."

Rachel began to chew on the edge of her sweater sleeve, something she did when she was stressed. "I just don't know how to keep on doing exactly what everyone expects me to. Especially not with Elizabeth's parents here. Her mother sort of understands since she was here during all of it… But her father's not going to."

"Elizabeth has always been very supportive of you and your progress." Angela reminded her softly. "She wants you to get the help that you need and I don't think any of that has changed."

Rachel simply looked down and became very interested in her hands again.

"Rachel what's changed?" Angela asked gently.

"Elizabeth went into preterm labor." Rachel said quietly. "She doesn't have the time or the energy to be worried about me anymore."

"You know that's not true." Angela said gently.

"She's not my mother." Rachel said quietly. "She doesn't need to have the time for me. That's not her job."

"You don't really believe that do you?" Angela asked her gently. Rachel shrugged gently. "Is something else wrong Rachel?" She asked, sensing something wasn't quite right.

"I think… I think my step-father's looking for me."

* * *

"Where's Rachel?" Elizabeth asked, clearly concerned. She had gotten several hours of sleep and was feeling much better. Ella was playing on the end of her bed with some blocks her father had brought for her. Her parents were sitting in chairs on the side of the room, her mother reading a book and her father flipping through the newspaper.

Her father shrugged and her mother muttered something along the lines of, "I don't know, she'll be back eventually."

"No mother this is important." Elizabeth insisted, this time attempting to get out of her hospital bed.

"Elizabeth you need to rest." Her mother said, finally putting down her book.

"Rachel needs me." Elizabeth insisted.

"You don't even know where she is." Her mother pointed out. "Besides she's not your daughter. Your family is in this room. These are the people who need you."

Elizabeth shook her head. "How do you not understand what she means to me… to Ella?"

"Elizabeth she should be a small concern for you right now." Her mother tried again.

Elizabeth shook her head before reaching over to the nightstand for her pager. She sent a page to Susan and waited nearly ten minutes before she showed up.

"Elizabeth is everything alright?" Susan asked her, giving a high-five to Ella.

"Please tell me you know where Rachel is." Elizabeth said, fear imminent in her eyes.

Susan nodded softly. "She went to see Angela several hours ago. I haven't seen her since."

"Can you get me a chair and take me up there?" Elizabeth asked, clearly desperate. "Please."

Susan nodded before going quickly to go find an empty wheelchair.

* * *

Rachel was staring at the ceiling in her room. Despite what Angela had had to say she didn't want to go back to Elizabeth. She had felt like a burden and didn't want to be in the way. Angela had been reluctant but by her request had put Rachel in a room. She was starting to make pictures in the cracks on the ceiling when there was a quick knock on her door.

"Yeah?" She asked and the door opened to reveal Susan and Elizabeth. "I'm sorry…" Rachel said softly before turning her back to them and her face to the wall.

"Thanks Susan." Elizabeth said softly. "I've got this." She assured her before Susan left. "Hey."

"Go back to Ella I'm sorry…" Rachel replied immediately.

Elizabeth shook her head before slowly moving the wheelchair over to next to her bed. "Please talk to me Rachel."

"Look I understand you have bigger concerns right now." Rachel assured her.

"No Rachel." Elizabeth said softly. "You are incredibly important to me."

Rachel turned around on her bed. "Why are you even up here?"

Elizabeth looked at her, sympathy drowning her eyes. "Rachel why are you up here?"

Rachel looked down awkwardly. "I got scared." She admitted softly. "Of myself… of what's going to happen to me…"

"What do you mean what's going to happen to you?" Elizabeth cut her off.

"I think I'm going to go back to St. Louis." Rachel replied quietly.

"Why would you…" Elizabeth began to try to understand.

"I got a phone call on my cell from Evan." Rachel cut her off. "I didn't answer it but he left a message and he sounded angry. He said something about figuring out where I'm at."

"Evan as in…" Elizabeth tried to confirm.

"As in the total creep my mom married yeah… That one." Rachel affirmed quietly.

Elizabeth studied her face for a moment. "He can't take you away… He's not really your father."

Rachel looked at her, concern woven into her eyebrows. "Yeah but he happens to be married to the parent I have that's not dead." Elizabeth breathed in sharply in response to that. "I'm sorry… that was uncalled for…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "You're right Rachel. There is nothing that makes me qualified to be your guardian anymore."

"I think my mom is having him look for me…" Rachel admitted softly. "I think she wants me back in St. Louis."

"Do you want to go?" Elizabeth asked, honestly looking for an answer. Rachel shook her head desperately, trying not to let the tears in her eyes fall. "Your mother deserves to know you're here." Elizabeth told her gently as Rachel sat up on the bed.

"Please don't call her." Rachel said quietly clearly desperate.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I won't call her myself but I think that you should." She replied as she hand her, her cellphone.

Rachel nodded and held the phone in her hand for several moments. "I can't…. she wouldn't want to hear from me."

Elizabeth reached over and took her hand. "Rachel… if you were Ella and I were your mother, I would want you to call me. I would want to know what's been going on." She said gently.

Rachel sat for several more minutes before finally dialing a number and holding the phone up to her ear. Several rings later the receptionist at her mother's law firm answered. "Jenkins and Simon Law, this is Rebekah how can I help you?"

"I'm calling for Jennifer Greene-Simon." Rachel said nervously.

"I need to report to her whom it is that is calling." Rebekah replied through the phone.

Rachel swallowed her fear in a large gulp. "Rachel Greene." She said, almost in a whisper.

"I'll connect you."

Rachel sat for nearly five minutes, biting her nails, chewing on her sweatshirt, and receiving sympathetic looks from Elizabeth. Then her mother's voice came through the phone. "Rachel?"

"Mom." Rachel said softly half in awe that she had even answered.

"Rachel where have you been?" Her mother asked, clearly very angry.

Rachel was debating on how to respond when she finally realized exactly what she wanted to say. "You moved. You banned me from your law firm. You clearly didn't want me there anymore, so I left."

"Who are you staying with? Where are you?" Her mother insisted.

Rachel had gained a new, and rather angry temperament. "It really isn't any of your business is it?" She said before raising her voice. "But for your information I'm in Chicago, and I'm _not_ coming back to St. Louis."

"I'm going to be sending Evan to come get you." Her mother's voice replied.

"No."

"This isn't a matter of debate Rachel. You're a minor and you don't have family in Chicago. You're coming back to St. Louis and you're going to be happy about it." She replied. "Where are you?"

"No."

"Rachel Greene you're going to tell me where you are this instant or I'm going to send the police out there to find you." Her mother's voice came loudly through the phone, loud enough that Elizabeth could hear what was being said.

Rachel looked at the phone, clearly feeling a lot of emotions. Elizabeth gently coaxed the phone out of her firm grip.

"Jennifer, its Elizabeth. I think we need to have a serious conversation about Rachel."

_**Author's Note: Yay Another chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying them! I probably will post another one later tonight after I get home from choir! Please Review!**_


	17. Jennifer's Visit

"Rachel!" Elizabeth's voice traveled down the stairs of the house. Rachel quickly put her little sister into her playpen in the living room and she ran up the stairs.

"Yeah Elizabeth?" She asked as she rounded the corner of her bedroom door.

"Your mother's going to be here in less than an hour, please tell me things are clean downstairs." She replied, clearly anxious from her bed.

"Everything is fine Elizabeth. Ella's fed and I just put her into her playpen, she should be asleep within the hour." Rachel replied quickly. "I cleaned the bathroom and the living room and your mother took care of the kitchen and the library. Your parents just headed out for lunch so they shouldn't be back for at least a couple of hours."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm going to make my way down the stairs sometime soon." Rachel simply looked down at her feet. "Rachel… I'm sorry but…"

"I know… She's my mother. It doesn't matter what I want… I have to talk to her." Rachel replied, trying to hold back obvious pressing emotions.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth said gently as she held her arms out to her.

Rachel quickly but gently moved into them, finding herself in an embrace that had become increasingly familiar over the past several days. "I don't want to go back there…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "You're not going to. Everything's going to be okay." She assured her as she ran her fingers through Rachel's loose curls. "I know that you're scared and it's okay for you to be. You've been through a lot over the last several months, and your mother caused some of that."

"I can't go back there." Rachel whimpered.

"I know… I know…"

* * *

Rachel and Elizabeth had made their way down the stairs and to the living room. Elizabeth was on the sofa, her feet propped up and her hand gently caressing her stomach. Rachel was lying on her stomach on the ottoman, flipping through Elizabeth's copy of Pride and Prejudice. Ella has fallen asleep in the playpen, gripping tightly to her picture of her father.

"She's late." Rachel said anxiously as she closed the book.

Elizabeth nodded. "She's probably just stuck in traffic. She'll be here Rachel, we talked to her this morning." Just as Rachel was about to respond there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth sighed. "You're going to have to get the door Rachel." She said gently as she tried to shift her weight without causing too much discomfort.

Rachel nodded and got up slowly before moving toward the front door. She hesitated before opening the door.

"Rachel how are you!?" Her mother's voice bombarded her as she pulled her into an awkwardly forced hug.

"Elizabeth's in the living room…" Rachel replied avoiding the question as she shrunk away from her mom.

"Jennifer." Elizabeth said, with as much pleasantry as she could muster. "Sorry to not be more accommodating but I'm on bed rest." She said with a forced smile.

"You're pregnant?" Jennifer replied, with a bit more shock than explicitly necessary.

"That seems to be the rumor." Elizabeth replied smartly as she once again shifted her weight on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Can I have a moment with Rachel?" Jen asked as politely as possible. Elizabeth nodded in response and Jen quickly pulled Rachel into the kitchen. "Rachel how the hell is she pregnant?"

"Mom…" Rachel said quietly feeling confused and uncomfortable about the situation.

"What did she just go off as soon as she possibly could to some other man?" Jen asked her angrily.

"Of course not…" Rachel tried to calm her mother down.

"How can you stand to live here with her like that?!" She asked, loud enough that Rachel was sure Elizabeth was hearing the conversation.

"Mom!" Rachel protested angrily, trying to grab onto her mother's arm as she stormed out into the living room.

"Well let's just get straight to the point." Jen said as she gingerly sat down on the couch opposite Elizabeth. "Rachel's my daughter, and she's coming home with me. You clearly don't have the capability to take care of her."

"Mom!" Rachel protested, trying to keep her calm.

"Rachel you're not Elizabeth's daughter you're my daughter…" Jen started again.

"YOU MOVED! _YOU MOVED_!" Rachel suddenly screamed, waking Ella up from the playpen. Ella began to cry, clearly upset about being disturbed. "Ella…" Rachel said softly as she quickly moved to pick up her younger sister.

"Her mother can take care of her Rachel, we're having a conversation here." Jen said unsympathetically.

Rachel shook her head. "Elizabeth can't lift Ella by herself right now." She said matter-of-factly as she gently rocked her younger sister while pacing around the living room.

"Then she shouldn't be taking care of Ella either." Jen replied crossly.

Rachel quickly turned toward her mother, a look of disbelief plastered on her face. "You can't just say that!"

"Rachel she can't take care of her own child, how is she supposed to take care of you?" Jen insisted angrily.

Rachel shook her head in disbelief. "You have no respect for me or Elizabeth." She spat out angrily. "What exactly do you plan to do about it?"

"I'm taking you back to St. Louis." Jen insisted.

"And what about Ella?" Rachel asked as she smiled at her little sister.

"It doesn't matter, she's not my responsibility, you are." Jen replied quickly, insistent upon getting exactly what she came for.

"What about dad?" Rachel asked angrily.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried to intervene.

"No!" Rachel insisted. "Dad wouldn't want me to abandon Elizabeth and Ella, they're just as much his family as I am."

"Mummy." Ella said sleepily as she snuggled into her shoulder.

"Rachel I can take her." Elizabeth said quietly. Rachel nodded and gently handed Ella into Elizabeth's lap. "It's alright Ella, Mum's right here." She said quietly before looking up to Jen. "Look… this isn't the life I was expecting to be living a year ago, but this is what my life looks like right now." She began to explain. "I don't know what you're thinking right now but it's probably something along the lines of, _What a total tramp, sleeping with someone right after her husband died_. Well here's a piece of information you might like to know, this child…" She said as she laid her hand on her stomach. "Is Mark's baby. So next time you fancy making assumptions about the way I'm living my life, try doing it out of my earshot."

Elizabeth had had enough of what Jen had to say and she gently stood up from the couch. "Rachel I'm going to lie Ella down in your room." She said softly, feeling the strain holding Ella was causing on her back. Quickly the two of them disappeared into Ella's room.

Rachel and Jen sat quietly in the living room by themselves for nearly ten minutes before Jen spoke up. "Rachel you can't…"

"No! Mom you don't understand what I need. For the last year I've been dealing with more than is possibly imaginable for someone my age and Elizabeth and Dad were always there for me." Rachel said angrily. "You never were! You never once gave me what I needed! I'm not going home with you so just leave!"

"Don't make me take Elizabeth to court." Jen threatened.

"You know that might have worked when I was twelve, but I'm almost sixteen now. If you take Elizabeth to court over custody of me they're going to ask where I want to stay." Rachel replied. "And do you want to know what I would say?"

"What?" Jen asked daring her to answer.

"That I would rather live in the foster care system than with you." Rachel replied bitterly. "Just leave and let me actually have a good life, alright?"

Jen looked taken aback at her daughter's attitude. "This isn't over Rachel."

"Actually it is." Rachel replied angrily. "Just go." She said venomously. She waited angrily as her mother gathered her things and left. As soon as she was through the door Rachel slammed it shut and locked it twice before turning her back to the door and leaning against it.

Nearly half an hour later Elizabeth came out of Rachel's room. "Rachel?" She called out quietly as she shut the door, making sure they wouldn't wake up Ella who was asleep in her room. She saw her leaning against the door while sitting on the welcome mat. "Are you alright?"

Rachel shook her head. Elizabeth sighed, "While I'd love to join you on the floor I doubt I'd ever be able to get back up. Care to join me on the couch?" She suggested gently. Rachel nodded and the two sat down on the couch.

"I'm sorry." Rachel spoke up quietly.

"Rachel you didn't do anything wrong." Elizabeth assured her.

Rachel shook her head. "She's such a pain… I shouldn't have gotten you involved. I could have handled her myself."

Elizabeth gently pressed her hand to her cheek. "It's okay Rachel, you shouldn't have to be fighting my battles with your mother."

"Please don't call her that…" Rachel murmured.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, clearly confused.

Rachel sighed. "I hate to think about the fact that she's my mother and you're not." She admitted quietly before breaking down into tears.

"Shhh…" Elizabeth hushed her gently. "Rachel you are just as much my daughter as Ella." She assured her gently. "Look it's Christmas in a couple of days, how about we just go to bed early today and then you can go shopping with my parents for the rest of the gifts tomorrow. Does that sound like a good plan?"

Rachel shrugged. "I guess."

"It's going to be okay." Elizabeth assured her gently.

"You don't know that." Rachel pointed out. "There are so many things that could go wrong…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Those are for me to worry about, not you. Ella's asleep in the chair in the corner of your room. Can you feed her when she wakes up?" Rachel nodded. "Alright I'm going to sleep then Rachel." She told her gently as she carefully stood up and began up the stairs.

"Elizabeth?" Rachel's voice tentatively called after her.

"Yes?" Elizabeth's voice replied gently.

Rachel smiled slightly for the first time all day, "Thanks."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled back before continuing up the stairs.

_**Author's Note: There you have it! Next chapter will be about Christmas :D Yay! There might be a bit of time between updates because I'm fairly certain I have the flu so writing is taking me about eleven times longer than necessary. Stay tuned and Please Review!**_


	18. The Christmas Letters

Rachel woke up to the feeling of small hands and knees crawling up her body. "Good morning Ella." Rachel said with a soft smile.

"Christmas!" Ella exclaimed excitedly, beginning to jump up and down on Rachel.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up!" Rachel said with a small giggle. She had spent the night on Ella's floor so that they could honor the tradition of staying upstairs until Christmas morning. "We've got to wait for Elizabeth to come and get us and then we'll go downstairs."

"Go now!" Ella insisted.

Rachel smiled as she rubbed her eyes, regaining orientation after waking up. She reached around until she found her sweatshirt and she put it on top of her tank top. "Alright Ella let me see how soon Elizabeth wants us to go downstairs." She said as she noticed the time on the clock was 8:00.

"Elizabeth?" Rachel asked quietly as she knocked on her bedroom door.

"Come in Rachel." Elizabeth's voice came back through the door.

Rachel smiled as she walked in. "Merry Christmas." She said gently.

"Merry Christmas Rachel." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Ella's probably bouncing off the walls by now isn't she?"

Rachel nodded. "No more than normal really." She replied with a smirk.

"Well we might as well go downstairs, I'm fairly certain my parents have been down there arguing for hours." Elizabeth said as she pushed back her bedcovers. "I just wish this one would calm down." She said with a smile as she rubbed her abdomen gently.

"Can I?" Rachel asked, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Of course." Elizabeth said as Rachel sat down next to her. Rachel gently placed her hand where Elizabeth indicated and waited a moment before a very sharp elbow connected with her palm.

"Oh my gosh!" Rachel exclaimed, pulling her hand away in shock. "Doesn't that hurt?" She asked after a moment.

Elizabeth nodded a bit. "It's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world." She admitted. "However the more active it is the less worried I am about their health."

"Don't you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?" Rachel asked curiously.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I waited with Ella as well… I've never really wanted to know until they're here… you know?" She tried to explain.

Before Rachel could reply Ella came bursting through the door dragging her stocking behind her. "MUMMY SANTA CAME!" She exclaimed excitedly before jumping up onto the bed.

"Ella!" Elizabeth exclaimed with a small chuckle. "Did you go downstairs without me?" She asked, pretending to be hurt.

Ella saw her mother's face and quickly moved to give her a hug. "I'm sorry." She said cutely as she snuggled into Elizabeth's hair. "Santa came!" She said excitedly, but much more quietly this time.

"He did, did he?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.

Ella nodded excitedly. "Gramma and papa said!" She informed her mother importantly.

"Alright should mum get out of bed?" Elizabeth asked her teasingly.

"Yes yes yes!" Ella insisted.

"Okay." Elizabeth said as she gently coaxed Ella off from her. She carefully got out of bed and began down the stairs with Rachel carrying Ella down.

"It's about time you were up." Her mother's voice greeted her as they reached the living room.

"Merry Christmas mother." Elizabeth said as her father carefully helped her lower onto the couch. "Merry Christmas father." She said gently as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Merry Christmas Elizabeth." He said as he handed her a cup of tea. "How's the little one?"

"As active as ever." Elizabeth replied with a chuckle.

"Can I open them now?" Ella asked expectantly as she looked down at the wrapped packages in her stocking.

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course you can sweetheart."

Ella excitedly began tearing into presents, revealing dolls and puzzles beyond what she was expecting. "Rach you open?" She asked her older sister who was simply sitting with her stocking in her lap.

"Sure Ella." Rachel replied with a smile as she too began to unwrap items, hers were mostly books and CDs.

"Mum!" Ella said as she excitedly handed her mother her stocking. "Open, open!" She insisted excitedly.

"Alright Ella…" Elizabeth said gently to Ella in order to attempt to calm her down.

"You really need to teach her some better manners." Isabelle said sharply as she sat down with a cup of coffee.

Elizabeth sighed. "Mother…"

"Isabelle it's Christmas, for one day can't you close your mouth?" Charles asked, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Charles…" Isabelle was about to protest.

"Shut up! Both of you shut up!" Elizabeth insisted angrily. "I can't be under any extra stress so I've been avoiding the two of you as much as possible, but today's Christmas and I need to be with my family. So both of you keep your mouths shut and enjoy the day."

"Shut up is a mean word mummy!" Ella said excitedly as she climbed up onto the couch next to her grandparents.

"Alright, let's open some gifts shall we?" Charles suggested, once again trying to create some peace.

Elizabeth nodded before encouraging Ella to pick out her first present to open.

* * *

Several hours later Elizabeth, Charles, Rachel, and Ella were sitting in the living room while Isabelle worked on preparing Christmas dinner. All the presents had been opened and everyone seemed fairly content.

Rachel was curled up on the couch with her new copy of _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_. Ella was happily snuggling her new blanket and watching a new movie that Charles had gotten for her. Charles was reading the instructions for his new laptop that he had gotten, and Elizabeth was half asleep on the couch opposite Rachel.

"Elizabeth dinner is going to be ready in the next hour or so." Her mother said as she came into the living room.

"Hmm…" Elizabeth replied tiredly.

"Elizabeth are you feeling well?" Her mother asked her gently.

"Oh…" Elizabeth said as she woke up. "I'm fine. Just tired I guess…" She said with a small smile. In all honesty she didn't feel entirely fine, something had been eating at her all day. She knew that before Mark had asked, he had written several letters to her and the girls by himself, three of which were intended to be opened that day.

"Elizabeth…" Her mother chided.

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm just missing Mark." She admitted honestly. "Could you… Could you go up to my room and grab the manila envelope on my nightstand?" She requested softly.

"I'll do it." Her father offered gently. "Wouldn't want dinner to burn."

"How thoughtful." Isabelle replied bitterly before going back into the kitchen.

Several minutes later her father gently handed her the envelope. Elizabeth took it from him and gently began to trace Mark's flimsy handwriting on the outside of the envelope. "Oh Mark…" She said gently, wondering how painful these letters would be to read, each and every time she gave one to Rachel or Ella.

Elizabeth gently broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out three letter sized envelopes, one for Elizabeth, one for Rachel, and one for Ella. "Ella… Rachel…" She said gently, coaxing them over toward her. Rachel gently picked up Rachel and moved over toward Elizabeth. "Your father wrote both of you letters for today. Rachel you can read yours whenever you want, or not at all." She said gently as she carefully handed the envelope to Rachel.

"Thank… thank you." Rachel replied quietly as she set Ella down and retrieved the letter. "I'm… I'm going to go to my room." She said quietly before moving to her room and closing the door quickly behind her.

"I'm going to go see if Isabelle needs any help in the kitchen." Charles said quietly, feeling the sensitivity of the situation.

"Alright Ella…" Elizabeth said as she set her own letter to the side, knowing she wouldn't read it until much later that night.

"Daddy?" Ella asked hopefully.

Elizabeth nodded softly. "Come here." She said gently as she made room for Ella awkwardly on the edge of her lap. She carefully peeled the envelope open and pulled out a small square of a blanket Elizabeth recognized Ella and Mark had completely destroyed in Hawaii. "Here you go Ella." She said gently as she handed her daughter the fabric square.

"Daddy." Ella said fondly as she snuggled into her mother's lap, pressing against her mother's expanding stomach, the fabric scrap clutched between her small fists.

"That's right…" Elizabeth said quietly. "Do you want to hear what Daddy has to say?" She asked her daughter, who nodded hopefully in response. "Alright…" She sighed before beginning the very short but clearly very purposeful note to her daughter. "Dear Ella…"

_You're probably missing me a lot by now, and I'm sorry I had to go. I love you very much and want you to be very happy. Be good to your mother for me, and never forget me. Love, Dad._

Ella was crying softly, a small wet spot accumulating next to where Ella's head lay. "Daddy."

Elizabeth gently ran her fingers through Ella's small blonde curls. "You know he loved you more than anything Ella." She told her daughter quietly.

"Elizabeth dinner…" Her mother began as she walked in to see tears streaming down both Elizabeth's and Ella's faces. "What happened? Are you alright?" She asked automatically concerned for her daughter and granddaughter.

Elizabeth nodded, quickly wiping the tears off from her own face. "We're fine." She assured her mother quietly as she gently took the fabric scrap from Ella. "Ella I'm going to keep this letter for you until you're older." She told her daughter quietly. "What were you saying about dinner?" She suddenly asked, desperate to change the subject.

"It's not going to be done for at least another hour." Her mother said. "Your father accidentally turned off the oven rather than setting a timer." She said with a clearly annoyed chuckle.

Elizabeth shook her head and closed her eyes momentarily. "I think I'll just take a nap." She said softly as she felt Ella's head becoming heavier on her lap.

"Of course…" Her mother allowed before quietly returning to the kitchen.

* * *

Rachel had been sitting on her bed staring at the envelope for nearly ten minutes when she finally decided to open the envelope. She slid her finger underneath the edge of the letter and felt the seal breaking. She pulled out the paper and began to read…

_Dear Rachel, _

_ Hopefully Elizabeth has somehow found a way to get this to you on Christmas, I know Jen tends to forget to check the mail so this may be a little late. Merry Christmas Rachel! I know this is probably hard, hearing from me after I've left you but I wanted a way to tell you everything that I felt I needed to. So here goes. _

_ Rachel you might feel like you're lost without me, having to go back to Jen. I believe in you Rachel, you'll find a way to make things work for you. I don't know exactly what your future holds but I'm sure that if you ever need any help Elizabeth will be there for you. Don't be afraid to admit that you need help. _

_ Be the best big sister Ella could ever ask for. Make sure she remembers me for all the good things I've done rather than the bad. Play with her, visit her, make sure she knows she has the best older sister in the world. _

_ Embrace what you have left of your life Rachel. Don't waste it on things that you know won't bring you any happiness. Make sure that everything you're doing is something that you would want to know someone did. That's the only way to live your life without regrets, I know I didn't. _

_ I love you Rachel, I'll always be with you no matter what. _

_Love, _

_Dad_

Rachel could feel the tears pouring down her face and she carefully tried to wipe them away. She put the letter back into the envelope and quickly pulled down a large book from her bookshelf. She proceeded to open the book that she had hallowed out to store important things and place the letter on top of the rest of the contents. "I love you too Daddy." She whispered before placing the book back on her shelf.

* * *

Elizabeth had finally made her way back to bed, feeling exhausted after the day she had had. Dinner had been just as hectic as usual, fortunately only ending with a broken plate and cup from Ella. Her mother was putting the girls to bed and her father was asleep on the couch downstairs.

She finally looked at the front of her own letter, terrified to open it. She was so scared of what it would say, regarding her, regarding Ella, regarding everything he couldn't possibly have foreseen. Finally after several more minutes she peeled open the envelope. She could feel the indentations of Mark's scribbled handwriting under her fingertips as she began to read.

_My Dearest Elizabeth, _

_ Writing these is getting harder and harder, I've been trying to write yours before asking for your help to write some for Ella and Rachel, but I don't know how many more I'll get through. So first and foremost know that I have always loved you. You brought me the happiest years of my life and I'll never be able to thank you for them enough. Thank you Elizabeth, for everything you've given me. _

_ Please be there for Ella, I know this is a difficult request, but I need you to be both of her parents, and the best parents she could possibly have. Give her a loving and educational childhood, giving her as many opportunities as she could possibly hope to have. Love her Elizabeth. I have no doubt that you will, but I can't feel anything but lost when trying to put into words what I want for her. She's our only child Elizabeth…_

At that point Elizabeth couldn't read through her tears. She furiously wiped them away before continuing to read.

_ …and I wish we could have had more. Our daughter is beautiful, just like her mother. _

_ You are beautiful Elizabeth. No matter how exhausted you may feel, or seem to think you look, you always look gorgeous. I wish I could tell you every day how much I love you, but I can't anymore. Never think any less of what I thought of you Elizabeth. You are beautiful, strong, and intelligent and nothing could change that. _

_ Take care of yourself. Merry Christmas. _

_Love, _

_Mark_

_**Author's Note: Whoops! I couldn't sleep because I'm so sick so I just decided to write anyway. It might not be of the best quality but it's here! We'll see what happens for the rest of the weekend. Please review!**_


	19. Unexpected Visitors

"Thank you so much for all of your help." Elizabeth said as she pulled her mother into a hug. It was mid-January and her parents simply couldn't stay away from their jobs for any longer. They promised they would return in a month or so when the baby was born.

"It's really no problem Elizabeth." Her father assured her as he also hugged her. "That little one is active in there." He commented as he felt a kick.

Elizabeth nodded with a sigh. "I'm just happy to finally be off bed rest."

"You're not going back to the hospital are you?" Her mother chided her.

Elizabeth sighed. "I have some paperwork that simply has to get done." She replied with a smile. "I know… no heavy lifting, no overworking myself." Elizabeth replied as her mother kissed her cheek.

"Alright, I guess we'll see you." Her mother said gently.

"I still can't believe the two of you are going on the same plane back." Elizabeth teased with a smirk.

"It's not as if we're sworn enemies." Charles replied indignantly.

"Might as well be." Elizabeth teased.

"Stop your bickering." Isabelle interrupted them. "We're going to miss our flight if we don't leave now Charles."

"Goodbye mother." Elizabeth said with a smile as she felt Ella grab onto her legs.

"Bye bye gramma!" Ella waved excitedly.

"Goodbye Ella." Isabelle said softly as she hugged her granddaughter before moving out to join Charles in the car.

After waving to them until they were far down the street Elizabeth took her daughter's hand. "Mommy needs to get ready to go to the hospital Ella." She said softly as the two of them went back into the house.

* * *

"Elizabeth!" Susan exclaimed in surprise after Elizabeth walked, well more waddled, into the lounge.

"Hello Susan." She greeted her with a smile.

"Aren't you about to give birth?" Susan asked as she pulled her lab coat from her locker along with her stethoscope.

"Technically not for another month." Elizabeth sighed as she peeled off her coat and other winter wear. "I kind of wish that's why I'm here." She smirked.

"What exactly are you doing here?" Susan asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I have mountains of paperwork Robert's been saving for me while I've been out." Elizabeth replied. "Nothing requiring any actual effort, but I'd rather get some of it taken care of before I'm out for another six weeks."

"Doctor Lewis…" Yosh began as he ran through the doors. "Oh Doctor Corday! It's been a while since we've seen you around here." He said excitedly. "How are you doing?"

"Well." Elizabeth replied with a smile. "I really should get up to my office." She excused herself from the room.

She was almost to the elevator when she heard a vaguely familiar voice calling her from behind. "Elizabeth?"

She turned around to see Carol and Doug Ross with Tess and Kate. "Carol!" Elizabeth exclaimed seeing her friend and former colleague. "What are you doing here?" She asked in surprise.

"Doug was called down as a temp for your emergency pediatric ward. It seems that you guys have been short doctors." Carol said as she followed Elizabeth into the Elevator with a five year old Kate walking alongside her.

"Sorry to seem as if I'm brushing you off." Elizabeth apologized as they rode in the elevator. "I just… really need to sit."

"Oh I totally understand." Carol said sympathetically. "I remember being pregnant with my two girls, by the end of things I was exhausted, standing really just wasn't happening."

Elizabeth nodded. "So why did all of you come?" She asked curiously as the elevator doors opened on a couple of floors on their way up to the surgical floor.

"Well we figured we might as well use it as an excuse to visit everyone." Carol replied. "Haleh has been bothering us to see the girls, and I've missed everyone."

"We've missed you too." Elizabeth said softly. "Abby's doing a wonderful job in your place."

"Abby… as in med student Abby?" Carol asked in surprise.

Elizabeth nodded. "She decided to go back to nursing. She's excellent at it, and she enjoys the work as a nurse more than the work as a med student."

They reached the fifth floor and they were stepping off from the elevator when Carol asked the question Elizabeth couldn't have seen coming. "So how's Mark doing?"

Elizabeth froze. She stood, her mind reeling, feeling more and more dizzy every second. Nearly a minute later she regained orientation and spoke very softly. "Excuse me." She said softly, before quickly making her way into her office and slamming her door closed behind her. She sat down at her desk and rested her head in her hands. _How could they not know?_ She thought quietly. _How could they not know…_

* * *

"Hey Susan!" Carol called down the hallway as she saw her former colleague.

"Carol!" Susan replied excitedly before giving her a hug. "How's Seattle?"

"Wet." Carol replied with a smirk. "Much greener than it is here."

"I ran into Doug just a bit ago, how long are you staying?" Susan asked as they continued to walk down the hallway, Kate walking behind them while holding onto her mother's fingers.

"At least a week." Carol replied. "Hey, so I saw Elizabeth upstairs and she was acting a bit strange…" She mentioned.

At this Susan stopped. "Well… She is eight months pregnant…" Susan pointed out, trying not to let her concern show.

Carol shook her head. "No… I mean… I asked her how Mark was doing and she couldn't answer me." She said, clearly confused by the situation.

Susan looked at her with shock. "No one… No one told you did they?" Susan asked quietly.

"What happened? Did he leave her? No… he wouldn't leave her they love each other so much…" Carol began to ramble.

Susan shook her head. "Uh… how about we go to the lounge." Susan suggested softly before walking directly to the lounge and sitting down at the table.

"Susan…" Carol asked, terrified of what might of happened. "What's wrong?"

Susan sighed before getting up and grabbing several pages of written text that were taped to the front of the refrigerator. "Here." She said quietly, handing Carol the letter Mark had written the ER from Hawaii.

Carol began to read the letter, trying to piece the information together in a way that made sense. Mark had been in Hawaii with Rachel, Elizabeth, and Ella… But why? It wasn't until she got to the last page that she understood. "I can't believe…" She whispered. "…Elizabeth?"

Susan nodded. "It's Mark's baby… Elizabeth didn't find out until a couple of weeks after… After the funeral."

"Doug's probably looking for Mark right now… He wouldn't ask anyone for help though…" Carol said softly under her breath.

"Mommy what's wrong?" Kate asked as she saw her mother crying.

"I'm okay Kate." She assured her daughter. "I just got some bad news about one of mommy and daddy's friends."

"Kate do you want to come with me to see Haleh?" Susan offered, to both Kate and Carol.

"Yes!" Kate replied, very excitedly. Haleh had been the only one of the County staff to go visit the Ross's in Seattle, being so close to Carol, and Kate and Tess knew her fairly well.

"Go ahead." Susan encouraged Carol, who clearly wanted to go talk to Doug.

Carol nodded before wiping her eyes and quickly going back into the ER. She looked around for Doug for nearly ten minutes before he ran right into her.

"Carol have you seen Mark?" He asked immediately.

"Uh…" Carol replied awkwardly, trying desperately not to cry.

"He's not listed on the board anywhere." Doug said as he continued to walk down the hall, assuming that Carol would follow him. "Did you ask Elizabeth, is he off today?" He turned around to see Carol still standing down the hallway. "Carol?"

"He's dead." She said quietly under her breath.

"Who... Who died Carol?" He asked quietly as he moved back toward her, hoping he wasn't understanding the conversation correctly.

"M… Mark." She whispered as he gently pulled her into a hug.

"What happened?" He asked her quietly as he gently held her.

"He had a brain tumor." She whispered, tears beginning to fall again. "Doug how could we not have known…"

Doug sighed. "I really don't know." He said softly. "Where's Kate?" He asked after several minutes.

"Susan took her to Haleh." Carol said quietly. They stood in silence for several moments. "I… I asked Elizabeth how Mark was doing." She admitted quietly. "Before… before I found out. I didn't understand how come she panicked… But now I'm worried about her."

"You should go talk to her." Doug encouraged her gently. "Do you know how far along she is?"

Carol shrugged. "Based on what I know she's probably getting close to full term. I can't believe I asked her how her dead husband is doing…"

Doug kissed her gently. "You didn't know." He assured her. "Elizabeth must be doing alright if she's at work." He pointed out. "Go talk to her."

* * *

Carol had made her way up to Elizabeth's office and was standing outside the door. She finally gathered the courage to knock.

"Come in." Elizabeth's voice came through the door. Carol hesitated before opening the door. Elizabeth looked up and smiled gently. "I assume someone told you." She said quietly.

Carol nodded. "Elizabeth I'm so sorry." She said softly.

"Me too." Elizabeth admitted. "Some days I feel like he's still here, you know?"

Carol nodded. "I'm sorry I… I shouldn't have…"

"Carol you didn't know." Elizabeth reminded her gently. "You caught me off guard but you didn't in any means offend me."

Carol breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess I just feel like it's kind of my fault that I didn't know."

Elizabeth looked at her sympathetically as Carol sat down across from her desk. "I feel like a lot of things are my fault lately." She admitted. After sitting there for several moments Elizabeth spoke up. "I was going to head home to help Rachel with dinner, do you want to bring the girls over?"

"I think they'd like to meet Ella and Rachel." Carol replied with a smile. "Do you still live on Dupont?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Meet you there?"

"Absolutely."

_**Author's Note: Unstoppable writing… Can't bring myself to concentrate on math homework, but I can work on this apparently XD I hope you're liking it! Please review!**_


	20. Not Today

"It's freezing!" Rachel complained as she exited her room a late February morning.

"Power's out." Elizabeth replied from the couch where she was sitting with an entire carton of ice cream and a spoon.

Rachel sighed before returning to her room for a moment to then exit with several blankets wrapped around herself. "How are you eating ice cream? It's so cold." She asked seriously.

"My body temperature is much higher than normal because of the baby." She said simply. "Also it's Cherry Garcia ice cream, there's no way I'm letting this melt in the freezer."

"I don't see how anything could melt." Rachel replied with a smirk before going to the kitchen and grabbing a box of cheerios. She returned to the living room just in time to hear Ella crying upstairs. "I'll go get her." She volunteered before quickly making her way to Ella's room.

"Rachel I'm cold!" Ella exclaimed as soon as Rachel opened her door.

Rachel nodded. "Good morning Ella, I'm going to get you a pair of footie pajamas." She told her as she quickly pulled a pair of pink fleece pajamas from the dresser which would clearly keep her warmer than her current princess nightgown. As soon as Rachel had helped Ella change they went downstairs, Ella bringing several blankets and toys with her.

"Hi mummy!" Ella said excitedly as she saw the carton of ice cream.

"You probably want some of my breakfast don't you?" Elizabeth asked her teasingly as she took another bite of the ice cream.

"Yes please!" Ella asked sweetly as she gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Well I can't say no to that." Elizabeth replied with a smile as she put a small spoonful into her daughter's mouth.

"More!" Ella insisted as soon as she had finished that spoonful.

Elizabeth shook her head. "You need to eat actual food for breakfast Ella." She told her daughter before continuing to eat the ice cream herself.

"Mom's not setting a very good example is she?" Rachel teased as she placed a handful of cheerios on the ottoman for Ella.

"You try being nine months pregnant in a freak ice storm." Elizabeth snapped back.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'd really rather not at the moment thank you." She replied before putting a handful of cheerios into her own mouth. They all ate in silence for several minutes before Rachel spoke up again. "It's so weird that the baby could come literally any day now."

"Tell me about it." Elizabeth groaned as she adjusted her weight trying to relieve some of the strain on her back. "I spent months trying to _not_ be in labor and now I'm really wishing I would just go _into _labor."

"Don't wish too hard." Rachel warned. "With that snow out there, there's no way anyone can drive through that."

Elizabeth nodded. "I am aware of that Rachel… But that doesn't mean that I think it's a worthwhile endeavor to keep this little one in here."

"I'm in on the ER pool for a girl." Rachel replied with a smirk.

"Oh really? How is that going for all of you?" Elizabeth asked, her interest piqued.

"Well Yosh, Haleh, Abby, Susan and I all think it's a girl." Rachel started, not giving away the crucial information Elizabeth wanted. What Elizabeth really wanted to know who was in on the pool, not which sides everyone was on.

"Who thinks it's a boy?" Elizabeth pressed.

Rachel smirked before giving in. "Kovac, Chen, Chuney, Malik, Jerry, Gallant, Carter, and Weaver." She said, letting the last one slip with a bright grin.

"Weaver?" Elizabeth asked in surprise. "She never…"

Rachel shrugged. "She's insistent upon the fact that if Dad was going to leave another kid behind he'd be damned if it's not a boy."

Elizabeth took in a deep breath in response to that.

"Oh… Elizabeth." Rachel said gently, sensing that tears were barely at bay. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No… I'm sorry. I'm fine… I'm totally one hundred percent fine. It's not like we can't talk about Mark. He was a great coworker and a great husband and a wonderful father." She said quickly. Rachel wasn't convinced that Elizabeth was telling this to her rather than herself.

"I miss him a lot most days." Rachel admitted softly as she carefully helped Ella up onto the couch to join the two of them.

"Me too." Elizabeth said quietly as Ella began to climb over toward her.

Ella had finally made her way across the couch and to Elizabeth when she lost her balance and fell forward. "Ow!" Ella said as her head made contact with Elizabeth's hard stomach.

"Oh Ella, be careful sweetheart." Elizabeth said gently as she did her best to try to straighten Ella out. "Are you alright?" She asked her daughter who had small tears welling in her eyes.

Ella shook her head.

"Do you need a Band-Aid?" She asked her with a smile. Ella nodded furiously, pointing directly to her forehead to indicate that that was where she needed one. "Okay let's see what we can find." She said before beginning to stand up.

That's when she felt it.

Elizabeth quickly sat back down.

"Elizabeth?" Rachel asked, purely concerned.

Elizabeth had felt a distinct twinge in her lower abdomen, one she had only remembered feeling one other time, just before she had started having contractions during her labor with Ella. "I'll be alright, my back is just a bit sore." She lied through her teeth. If this was going to be anything like it was with Ella she'd be at it for hours still and she didn't want to worry Rachel for any longer than necessary.

"Are you sure?" Rachel insisted, not really believing her.

Elizabeth nodded before standing up again. "Let's get you a Band-Aid Ella." She said as Ella attempted to get picked up. "You're going to have to walk though, I can't pick you up my back is too sore."

"No lifting!" Rachel called mockingly as she began to head to the kitchen herself to get the Band-Aids out of the top of the cabinet.

Elizabeth shook her head, trying not to concentrate too much on anything at once. She paused and pressed a hand against the counter as she felt the twinge once again, this time stronger than the last.

"Elizabeth…" Rachel began to ask what Elizabeth knew she was wondering.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm fine Rachel." She lied once again.

"Should I call someone?" Rachel insisted.

"Rachel I'm not in labor." Elizabeth replied angrily.

Rachel nodded. "I know… Just as a precaution. It's going to take anyone hours to get here in this snow." She assured her.

"Rachel." Elizabeth said sternly.

"Look you can lie to yourself about this for as long as you think you can hide it from Ella, but I really don't want to be the only one here if you go into active labor." Rachel replied, just as certain. "Go rest. I'm going to call Carol."

Elizabeth sighed as she put the Band-Aid on Ella's forehead. "Is that better sweetie?" She asked her gently.

"Mummy why do you look sick?" Ella asked her as she sat at eye level across from her on the counter.

Elizabeth sighed. "My, you're awfully observant aren't you?" She asked her with a smile. "I'm going to be just fine Ella." She promised her with a kiss to her forehead.

Rachel came back into the room several minutes later with the phone in her hand. "I called Carol's cell phone but she didn't answer, so I left a message. I called Susan and she's finishing up her shift so she said she'd come over as soon as she could."

"She really doesn't need to do that…" Elizabeth began to insist before she winced and pressed a hand to her stomach.

"Elizabeth I can't…" Rachel began to say, sounding rather panicked.

"Rachel calm down." Elizabeth said gently as she put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine. I feel a bit uncomfortable, similar to the way I felt a couple of days before I had Ella. Until I'm having regular contractions you really have nothing to worry about." She promised her.

Rachel nodded. "I'm going to take Ella up for her nap." She said as she picked Ella up from off the counter. "Please let me know if you have any contractions…"

Elizabeth nodded. "Everything's going to be fine Rachel." She assured her with a gentle smile.

Elizabeth waited until Rachel was up the stairs before letting out a small moan as she bit her lip. "Alright you're staying in there." She said quietly to her abdomen. "You can't be born today… _not today_."

_**Author's Note: Wheee! Another chapter! I hope you're all enjoying it. I'm wondering whether to just continue on this story or write another several chapter chunk as a sequel. So ultimately would you rather one 40 chapters or so story or two 20 chapters or so stories? Please leave a review and let me know!**_


	21. Denial

"Elizabeth?" Rachel asked nearly an hour later as she came down the stairs. She had been expecting to find her lying on the couch but she wasn't there. She went into the kitchen, and still didn't find her. "Elizabeth?" She called again, growing concerned. She ran back up the stairs and checked Elizabeth's bedroom, still nothing. She was running back down the stairs when the doorbell rang.

She quickly made her way to the door and threw it open, exposing a huge amount of snow and ice as well as Susan Lewis.

"How's Elizabeth doing?" Susan asked as she stepped inside and closed the door firmly behind her.

Rachel shook her head. "I have no idea, I went upstairs to put Ella down about an hour ago and I just came downstairs. I can't find her."

Susan quickly peeled off her coat. "Elizabeth?" She called just before they heard something being dropped in the downstairs bathroom. Susan and Rachel quickly moved to outside the door. They looked at each other for a moment before Susan knocked gently on the door. "Elizabeth?" She asked quietly. After several moments without any response Susan checked to see if the door was locked.

When the door handle turned she gently pushed the door open, not sure what she was going to find. The first thing she saw were several Tylenol pills on the floor, she immediately panicked and quickly pushed the door open to reveal Elizabeth sitting on the edge of the bathtub gripping her stomach.

"Elizabeth how frequent are the contractions?" Susan asked immediately as she moved over to support her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm fine… I'm just having cramps I just need some Tylenol. I dropped the bottle and it broke..." She explained the mess on the floor.

"Elizabeth…" Susan said gently.

"No. I'm not in labor." Elizabeth insisted before moaning and gripping Susan's open hand.

"I can see that… But just as a precaution let's move you to your bed, alright?" Susan said gently as the obvious contraction subsided. Elizabeth nodded and Susan motioned for Rachel to help her support Elizabeth. "Rachel I need you to time these." She said quietly as they made their way up the stairs.

"Rachel don't bother I'm not in labor." Elizabeth replied insistently.

"Of course not. It's just a precaution." Susan lied as they finally made it to Elizabeth's bedroom. They helped Elizabeth lie down, with several pillows supporting her back. "Alright Elizabeth you just rest. We're going to go check on Ella." She lied before quickly pulling Rachel into the hallway and pulling the door shut behind them.

"She's…" Rachel began awkwardly.

"In labor, definitely." Susan finished for her. "I'm not sure why she's denying it but I'm fairly certain she knows what's going on."

"Why wouldn't… why wouldn't she want to?" Rachel asked clearly confused.

"I don't know Rachel, but I'm going to need help." She told her simply. "I'm going to call Abby she doesn't live very far away and she was an OB nurse for several years."

Rachel nodded. "I left a message on Carol's cell so she's probably either busy or coming."

"Good… good…" Susan affirmed. "Can you go time Elizabeth's contractions and try to figure out why she's freaking out so much?"

Rachel nodded before going back into Elizabeth's room. "Hey." Rachel said awkwardly with a smile.

"Hello Rachel." Elizabeth said simply. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh… Elizabeth?" Rachel replied clearly confused. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"I'm fine." Elizabeth replied before biting her lip and grabbing onto her sheets, tightly. "I'm…. I'm fine… I promise…"

"Elizabeth…" Rachel began again.

"No Rachel! I'm not having this baby right now, not today!" Elizabeth yelled angrily. "It's just going to have to wait for a few more hours."

"Alright… calm down." Rachel said gently as she got up off from the bed. "I'm going to be right back." She promised before quickly running down the stairs.

"Do you know if Elizabeth or Mark keep any medical equipment around?" Susan asked as she went through the medical cabinet.

Rachel shrugged. "I really don't know." She said distractedly. "…I figured out why she… I know why she's freaking out."

Susan looked at her expectantly. "What?"

"It's Dad's birthday." She said quietly. "February 27th."

Susan's eyes widened and she began to speak again. "Okay… I'm going to try to get someone from the hospital to bring me clamps and a suture kit. In the meantime I would appreciate it if you could try to find Elizabeth's at home fetal monitor."

Rachel nodded. "I think it's in the attic… Is there anything else you need?"

"Uh… A bed sheet and a tarp… And a bowl… And as many towels as you can find." Susan said quickly. "As soon as you find them meet me up in Elizabeth's room I'm going to try to calm her down, I also called for an ambulance but all of them are stuck out on current jobs and haven't made it to the hospital yet so that's not really looking like an option."

"Okay." Rachel said shakily. "Bed sheet, tarp, bowl, and towels." She said to herself. "Am I forgetting anything?"

"Fetal monitor." Susan reminded her quickly before going up the stairs.

* * *

"Elizabeth!" Susan was protesting as Elizabeth tried to get up.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not having this baby. I'm just going to take a hot shower to help get rid of these cramps." She insisted.

Rachel came in then with all of the things Susan had requested from her. "Elizabeth?" She asked clearly concerned for her step-mother.

"I don't know what to do." Susan admitted quietly. "Is Abby here yet?" She asked softly.

Rachel nodded. "She's downstairs patching up her knees, she slipped and accidentally scraped them on her way over."

"Okay I'm going to run downstairs and talk to her really quickly. Keep an eye on Elizabeth." Susan instructed quickly before running down the stairs.

"Is she alright?" Abby asked as soon as she saw Susan.

Susan shook her head. "I'm fairly certain she's in active labor, the contractions are still a bit further apart than they usually would be but they're long and strong."

"Is she still refusing to get examined?" Abby asked as she washed her hands quickly.

Susan nodded. "I have no idea if she's dilated completely or not…"

"Alright." Abby said. "Let's do this." She said before following Susan up to Elizabeth's room.

"Rachel where's Elizabeth?" Susan asked, not seeing Elizabeth in the room.

"She locked herself in the bathroom… I'm sorry I didn't mean to let her but she…" Rachel tried to explain.

"It's okay Rachel." Abby assured her gently. It was then that the doorbell rang. "Go get the door." Abby instructed before softly knocking on the bathroom door.

Rachel ran down the stairs, tripping slightly over the last few and landing face first on the carpet. She moaned slightly before getting up to get the door. "Robert?" She asked surprised to see who was on the other side of the door.

"You need clamps and a suture kit?" He asked holding up the aforementioned materials.

"Uh yeah…" Rachel said. "Susan called you?"

"She called the ER I was the first person available. Do you guys need these or not?" Robert asked impatiently.

"Thank you." Rachel replied taking the things from Robert. "Uh… We'll probably need some help with something… I'll have Susan or Abby come down as soon as we know more." She explained awkwardly before running back up the stairs.

"NO!" She could hear Elizabeth's voice coming angrily from her room.

"Robert brought these." Rachel said quietly as she handed them to Susan.

"Thanks." Susan said distractedly. "Are we just going to break down the door?" She asked Abby quietly.

"I don't know what else to do…" Abby replied quietly.

"Wait did you say Robert was downstairs?" Susan suddenly asked. Rachel nodded. "I'll be right back." She said before running down the stairs. "Robert are you willing to be a complete jerk?" Susan asked suddenly as she appeared in the living room.

"That depends on what you want." Robert replied, cocking his eyebrow.

"Elizabeth locked herself into the bathroom and we're fairly certain she's in active labor, most likely heading into transition." Susan explained quickly.

"Why…?" Robert questioned, having not been filled in on the entire situation.

Susan sighed. "It's Mark's birthday she doesn't want to give birth today." She said quietly. "I haven't taken any vitals and it's been hours. I need someone to piss her off enough…"

"Don't say any more." Robert replied before running up the stairs.

_**Author's Note: Will continue writing because there's nothing better to do right now! Probably will have another update tonight or tomorrow! Please keep up the reviews!**_


	22. Happy Birthday

"Elizabeth?" Robert asked gently as he knocked on the door.

"Robert get out of my house." Elizabeth's strained voice came through the door.

"Elizabeth are you going to unlock the door or am I going to have to force my way in?" Robert asked her impatiently.

There was a lull in the conversation before Elizabeth replied. "You wouldn't?" She challenged, this time clearly talking through a contraction.

Robert sighed for a moment, making eye contact with Susan before speaking up. "Look Lizzie I'm not going to let my best surgeon go about killing her own child because she has some sentimental reason to lock herself in a bathroom."

Abby and Rachel looked shocked, Abby was about to protest when Susan quickly covered her mouth and whispered. "This has to happen… It's the only thing that's going to work. If she gets pissed off enough it motivates her to get things done."

"Shut up Robert." Elizabeth's voice replied. "I'm fine… The baby's fine." She said softly.

"Elizabeth you know that the baby's not going to be getting enough oxygen as soon as your water breaks." Robert said simply. "We have until then to play this game with you but then we're going to have to do this whether or not you're willing."

When there was no response after several minutes Susan spoke up. "Elizabeth… I need an honest answer… Did your water break?" She asked gently. She could hear Elizabeth burst into tears on the other side of the door.

Robert shook his head. "Okay this is ridiculous." He said angrily. "Elizabeth if you're next to the door get back." He warned her as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Doctor Romano are you sure…?" Abby began to ask.

"Do you have a better idea?" He questioned anxiously. Abby shook her head and stood back. "Alright Elizabeth the door is going to swing in so if you somehow have any sense of self-preservation left _get back_." He waited for a minute before backing up and pushing forward full force into the door causing the lock to break and the door to swing open.

Abby and Susan quickly moved into the bathroom. "Elizabeth please." Susan said gently. "You know that this has to happen, and soon."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Please, stop them."

"Elizabeth we can't stop the contractions now. You're overdue and your water broke. You know this Elizabeth." Susan coaxed her gently. "Please come to the bed and let me check how far along you are."

Elizabeth nodded and Abby helped Susan walk her over to the bed. "Alright Elizabeth please try to relax." Abby said gently as Susan prepared to check her.

"Uhm… I'm just going to step out." Robert said awkwardly.

"Can you check on Ella?" Rachel asked, suddenly concerned. "She's probably fine, but my guess is she's awake. I put her down for a nap almost four hours ago." She explained quickly.

Robert nodded and headed down the hall. He knocked on the door to Ella's room and heard a happy giggle from the other side. "Hello Ella." He greeted her gently, knowing that Ella would likely be disoriented by the situation.

"Where's mummy?" She asked immediately, recognizing her mother's boss.

"She's working on getting your baby brother or sister." Robert said gently as he moved over toward her.

"At the hospital?" Ella asked, knowing that her mother had been saying that they might have to go to the hospital in the middle of the night to get the baby.

Robert shook his head. "In her bedroom." He said awkwardly.

"Can I go see?" Ella asked excitedly.

"I don't think that's the best idea Ella." Robert told her gently. "You're probably hungry aren't you?" He asked trying to change the subject.

Her attention was temporarily diverted until they heard a loud scream coming from down the hallway. "Mummy!" Ella said sounding terrified.

"It's okay Ella, she's okay." Robert said gently as he picked her up.

"She's hurt!" Ella insisted, trying to wiggle out of Robert's arms as an angry scream came once again from down the hallway.

"Ella I promise you that she's okay." Robert said softly.

"Then why is she hurt?" Ella asked insistently.

Robert shifted her awkwardly in her arms before giving in and going down the hallway. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to come through the door. When Rachel appeared she saw Ella in tears. "Ella what's the matter?" She asked her sister gently as she took her from Romano.

"Mommy's hurt!" Ella insisted as Rachel pulled the door shut.

"Ella it's okay." Rachel said gently as she lifted her sister up so that her head was resting on her shoulder. "Please don't cry, mom's okay I promise."

"I want to see mummy." Ella insisted quietly as tears continued to fall down her face.

"Alright…" Rachel said hesitantly. "Stay here with Robert for a minute while I ask mom if it's okay if you come in."

She gently handed Ella to Robert before going back into the bedroom. "Elizabeth?" She asked gently.

"If you need something the answer is probably no." Elizabeth replied as she clung tightly onto Abby's hands.

"Ella's freaking out." Rachel said, sounding panicked. "She can hear you and she's terrified."

Elizabeth moaned as the contraction ended. "Bring her in." She said softly.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, surprised by her answer.

Elizabeth nodded. "We've got about three minutes before my next contraction, hurry."

Rachel quickly went back into the hall and took Ella from Robert. "I'll bring her right back." Rachel assured him before taking her inside. "Here's mom Ella, you need to be very, _very_ gentle." She reminded her sister as she set her down on the bed next to Elizabeth.

"Who's hurting you?" Ella asked as she crawled up next to her head.

Elizabeth bit her lip feeling another contraction ebbing at her. "It's hard to explain quickly Ella, but having a baby takes a lot of work."

"Bad baby!" Ella said angrily before starting to move away from Elizabeth, feeling angry toward her. "Get rid of it mummy!"

"Ella!" Rachel said feeling panicked. "Ella you can't say things like that sweetie."

"It's alright… I'm al-" She began to dismiss it when the next contraction started. "Okay I need to push… _now_."

Rachel quickly picked up Ella and took her out in the hallway, while she screamed and protested the entire way.

"What's happening?" Robert asked, clearly confused.

"She's pushing." Rachel replied quickly before running back into the room and slamming the door before moving back over to Elizabeth allowing her to take one of her hands.

"Okay Elizabeth relax for a minute. You're not going to have to push for very long, the baby's crowning." Susan told her gently.

"What time is it?" Elizabeth asked insistently.

Susan shook her head, indicating that they shouldn't answer. "Elizabeth you just need to focus." She assured her. "Alright I want you to take a deep breath in and then push."

Elizabeth did as she was told. Susan was watching closely for any possible complications. After several minutes of pushing Susan spoke abruptly. "Stop."

Rachel and Abby looked up at her immediately. Abby's look showed she knew what was going on but Rachel looked terrified. "Alright Elizabeth just relax and don't push."

"The cord." Elizabeth said softly.

"Rachel we need sharp scissors." Abby told her gently.

Rachel shook her head. "I don't think… I only know where kiddie scissors are." She said in a panic.

"Kitchen drawer, far left." Elizabeth said, taking quick breaths trying not to panic.

Rachel nodded before quickly running down the stairs, running past Robert in the living room with Ella. It took her several minutes before she found a pair of scissors and sterilized them with rubbing alcohol from the medicine cabinet.

"What's wrong?" Robert asked as she ran up the stairs.

"Something with the cord I'm not really sure!" She yelled back without slowing down. She handed the scissors to Abby who was now situated at the end of Elizabeth's bed.

"Alright Elizabeth relax." Abby coaxed her gently. "I'm going to cut and then clamp the cord, then you're going to need to push again."

Elizabeth nodded, tears running down her cheeks.

"Rachel I need your help." Abby said gently. "I need you to support the head while I cut and clamp." She informed her.

Rachel looked a bit squeamish. "I… Why not Susan?"

"Rachel she'll break your hands if you're the one whose hands she's grabbing." Susan said gently.

"I would not!" Elizabeth insisted angrily, feeling another contraction starting. "I need… to… push…" She said angrily as she tried to keep from doing so.

"Alright Rachel now!" Abby insisted as she picked up the scissors and the clamps. "Put your hands here." She said gently. "Okay Elizabeth relax." She reminded her one more time before moving as quickly as possible, quickly cutting the cord and clamping it off. "Okay Elizabeth push!" Abby insisted, wanting the head entirely out.

"You're doing fine Elizabeth, one or two more that's all we need." Susan assured her.

Elizabeth nodded before reengaging as much of her energy into concentrating as possible.

Several minutes later a very high pitched scream joined Elizabeth's pained one.

"It's a girl." Abby said with a smile as she quickly began to clean her off. "I'm going to take a set of vitals as best I can before I come back and help Susan finish."

Elizabeth nodded tears running down her cheeks. "As long as she's fine." Elizabeth said quietly. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"It's okay Elizabeth." Susan assured her. "I know this was hard for you."

Elizabeth nodded tiredly as Susan began to examine for any tearing. "What time is it?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"Eleven twenty-nine." Susan said softly.

Elizabeth winced and began to cry. "I didn't want this." She said softly.

"Elizabeth it's okay." Susan said softly. "Mark would be thrilled."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I know… it's stupid… I just hate it." She said quietly, wincing at the pain.

"It's not stupid Elizabeth." Susan assured her as Abby came back in from the bathroom with the baby.

"She's perfect." Abby assured her. "Fifteen inches, seven pounds two ounces."

Elizabeth gently took her from Abby's arms. "She looks just like her father." She said softly as she gently kissed the newborn's forehead."

"What's her name?" Rachel asked curiously, as she nervously bit her lip.

"Amanda." Elizabeth said quietly. "Mark wanted to name Ella Amanda but I wouldn't let him. It's the least I can do." She said softly.

"Is there a middle name?" Abby asked as she wrote down all the information to give to the hospital when they finally made it there.

Elizabeth thought for a moment and smiled. "Rachel."

_**Author's Note: Yaaaay! Baby Amanda Rachel Greene finally made it! I've been holding onto that name for a long time. Kudos if you know where I got the Amanda reference from. Please review!**_


	23. There's A New Baby

It was nearly an hour later when the ambulance finally arrived at the house. Quickly arrangements were made for getting everyone to the hospital. Rachel and Abby were going in the rig with Elizabeth and Amanda, Robert and Susan were going to meet them at County with Ella.

"Elizabeth how are you feeling?" Abby asked her gently as they were approaching County's ambulance bay.

Elizabeth sighed. "Like I just pushed a seven pound human being out of my body." She replied quietly.

"I think Amanda's hungry." Rachel said quietly as she felt the infant start squirming in her arms before handing her to Elizabeth.

"We're going to be at County in less than a minute, we'll set you up to nurse once we get inside." Abby assured Elizabeth.

The rig came to a stop and the doors swung open revealing Haleh and Kerry on the outside.

"Doctor Corday!" Haleh said in surprise as Abby and the paramedics quickly helped the gurney out of the back of the rig. "Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked intently.

"Girl." Rachel replied with a smirk, giving Haleh a discreet high five for their bets in the pool.

"I assume everything looks healthy with both mom and baby." Kerry said as they made their way through the ER entrance.

Abby nodded. "There was a slight complication with the cord, but the baby's fine and Elizabeth is looking good. She's still bleeding slightly and is definitely sore."

"How long was she in transition?" Kerry asked as they moved directly toward the elevators.

Abby shook her head, indicating that she shouldn't ask. Kerry's eyes clearly showed confusion but she didn't press the matter. "I wrote down all of the information from the birth." Abby said tiredly as she handed the sheet to Yosh who was helping Kerry move the gurney into the elevator. "I'm now going to crash in the lounge."

"I'm joining you." Rachel replied tiredly.

The two of them made their way to the lounge, Abby collapsing on the couch, Rachel lying down on the floor. They lay in peace for a few moments before Carter swung open the door and turned on the lights.

"Augggh!" Abby exclaimed in protest.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked as he opened up his locker.

Rachel moaned as she rolled over, pressing her face toward the floor. "I have been running up and down stairs since eleven AM. Turn off the lights, I'm sleeping." She said crankily.

"Why are you even here?" Carter asked as he looked past his locker door.

"Doctor Corday had the baby." Abby replied tiredly.

"Really?" Carter asked excitedly. "Boy or a Girl?"

"You have to pay up, now turn off the lights and get out." Abby replied with a smirk.

"A girl? Man… I could've sworn that it was going to be a boy…" Carter began to ramble.

"Seriously I want to get some sleep before Susan and Robert get here with Ella and I'm stuck babysitting." Rachel whined.

"Wait… Why do they have Ella?" Carter asked as he grabbed some coffee.

"Seriously Carter." Abby warned, sounding angrier by the second.

"Alright, alright." He gave in leaving, but leaving the light on.

"Carter I will kill you!" Abby called after him as she angrily got up to turn off the lights herself before once again crashing on the couch.

* * *

"Good morning!" A small voice assaulted Rachel's ear drums, causing her to jump up and off the floor in the lounge. "Why were you on the floor?" Ella asked with a giggle.

"Because Abby took the couch." Rachel replied with a groan at her protesting back.

"You could have crashed in one of the exam rooms, that's what I do." Susan pointed out.

"Thanks for that." Rachel replied as she rolled her eyes. "That's definitely helpful now that I've thrown out my back."

"Can we go see the baby?" Ella asked her excitedly as she was handed to her sister.

"Well…." Rachel tried to tease her only to be rewarded with a firm whack to her shoulder. "Alright calm down."

"She's probably in the nursery rather than in with Elizabeth." Abby pointed out, noting it was nearly four in the morning.

"Alright." Rachel nodded, showing she understood.

"I'll walk you two up." Susan offered as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "I want to see how she's doing." She admitted with a smile.

They made their way up to the nursery and saw that Amanda had a spot, but she wasn't there. "She's probably feeding." Susan pointed out. "I'll go check for her chart to figure out what room she's in."

Several minutes later Susan came back. "Alright she's right down the hallway."

"I want to see the baby!" Ella said angrily, and rather loudly.

Rachel quickly covered her mouth. "Ella we have to be really quiet." She reminded her. "There are a lot of babies on this floor and we can't wake them up, especially since it's the middle of the night."

"It is not." Ella protested. "I'm not allowed to be up in the middle of the night."

Rachel smirked. "I know, now stop talking about it." She hushed her before they went into Elizabeth's room.

"Hey Ella." Elizabeth greeted her quietly.

"Is that the baby?" Ella asked cautiously.

Elizabeth nodded. "Come over here I want to introduce you to someone." She encouraged her softly.

Rachel gently put Ella down on the floor so she could quickly run over to the bed and climb up. "I wanna hold it." Ella requested excitedly.

"Ella, she's asleep right now." Elizabeth said quietly. "We need to let her get her rest, being born is a lot of hard work." She told her gently.

"Can we go play?" Ella asked hopefully. "Now you don't have to be soft." Ella pointed out.

Elizabeth sighed. "I can't right now Ella." She said, feeling sorry for her daughter. "There's still a lot of things that need to happen before mum's going to be back to her normal self."

"Why?!" Ella asked angrily.

"Rachel would you take Amanda?" Elizabeth asked her hopefully.

"I… I haven't held a baby in such a long time…" Rachel replied nervously as she moved toward the bed.

"Rachel you helped deliver her, I'm not worried. You're going to be fine. You can sit down if you want." Elizabeth coached her as she handed her the small bundle of blankets. Rachel carefully supported her head as she sat down in the chair.

Elizabeth gently moved Ella so that she was facing her. "Ella there are a lot of things that we didn't talk about before mummy had the baby and we probably should have." She told her gently.

"Why don't you want to play with me?" Ella asked her sadly.

"I would love to play with you, but I have a lot to do right now." Elizabeth told her. "The baby needs a lot of help from me."

"Why?" Ella asked, genuinely curious.

"Well…" Elizabeth thought for a moment. "You know how you can feed yourself?"

"Sort of?" Ella replied, sort of confused.

"Well the baby needs someone to give her special food." Elizabeth started to explain.

"Why can't Rach give it to her?" Ella asked sadly.

"Well, do you remember when you used to drink milk?" She asked her with a small smile. Ella nodded. "Well very little kids drink milk from their mums because they have special vitamins that help the baby get bigger."

"But I want to spend time with you." Ella said sadly as she lay down on the bed.

"Come here." Elizabeth said as she carefully wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "You know I'm always going to have time for you Ella?" She asked her gently.

"You do not." Ella pouted.

Elizabeth looked at her daughter sadly. "Ella, have I not been spending enough time with you?" Ella shook her head. "You're always going to be my baby girl."

"No now she is." Ella said as she pointed over to the baby in Rachel's arms.

"Hey Ella." Rachel said excitedly. "How about we leave Amanda with mom and then go get you a special treat from the cafeteria?" She suggested as she handed the baby back over to Elizabeth.

"I want to stay with mummy." Ella said, snuggling into Elizabeth who was once again holding Amanda and unable to hold onto Ella anymore.

Rachel bit her lip, trying to come up with a better lure. "I have a secret to tell you." She whispered quietly.

Ella's eyes widened. "Can mummy hear it?" She asked suspiciously.

Rachel shook her head. "Definitely not, it's top secret sister stuff." She told her with a smile.

Ella looked at her mother expectantly for permission.

"Go ahead." Elizabeth encouraged her, before mouthing a _thank you_ to Rachel as she picked up Ella.

"We'll be back." Rachel promised with a smile. "Let's get some ice cream and French fries." She whispered to Ella who let out a small giggle. They headed to the elevators, the entire time Rachel wondering just exactly what she needed to say.

_**Author's Note: I don't have too much new to say! I'll keep writing, you keep reviewing! Sounds good :D**_


	24. Talks

"Can I have chocolate?" Ella asked as they stood in front of the soft serve ice cream machine.

Rachel nodded. "How about we get a bowl of vanilla and a bowl of chocolate?" She suggested, which Ella responded with a thrilled nod to. Once they had two bowls of ice cream and a basket of French fries they sat down at a table, Ella sitting on top of a couple of phone books Rachel had nicked from the lounge. "Alright Ella we have to talk about serious stuff." She said seriously as she dipped a french fry into the vanilla ice cream.

"Like what?" Ella asked, having just accidentally smeared ice cream all over her face.

"Well now _you're_ a big sister. There's certain things that you have to do if you're a big sister." Rachel said seriously.

"Like what?" Ella mumbled again, this time the words disguised by the food in her mouth.

"Sometimes you have to let mom spend more time with the baby, even if you want to play." Rachel told her. "And sometimes you have to help mom with the baby because she's too tired to do it herself."

"Why is she so tired?" Ella asked sadly.

"Well for the first several months the baby isn't going to sleep all night long, and it's going to get hungry in the middle of the night." Rachel said simply.

"I get hungry in the middle of the night and mummy sends me back to bed." Ella said, not looking up from the food in front of her.

"That's because you're a big girl." Rachel replied. "Your stomach is a lot bigger than the baby's, so you can eat more and you don't get hungry as fast."

"I wish I had a small stomach." Ella said crankily.

"Hey babies don't get to do a lot of things." Rachel pointed out.

"Really?"

"Yeah, like… No puzzles, or dolls. Babies don't get to watch TV or go to the hospital and get french fries and ice cream." Rachel said teasingly.

"No french fries and ice cream!" Ella exclaimed wide-eyed.

Rachel shook her head. "It's pretty rough being the baby." She informed her solemnly.

"Why does mummy look so sad?" Ella asked after several minutes.

Rachel sighed. "Mom's a little sad that dad isn't here today. Having a baby is a lot of very hard work, and when you were born dad was there to help take care of her and make sure she was feeling alright."

"We can take care of her!" Ella said enthusiastically, smearing what was left of the chocolate ice cream on her face in an attempt to eat it.

Rachel nodded. "I know that you're not sure exactly how to respond to the whole big sister thing, but I'm pretty sure you're going to get the hang of it pretty fast."

Ella smiled as Rachel handed her the last of the french fries. Rachel had noticed that Kerry had come into the cafeteria and had been watching them for a while. "Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." She said with a soft smile.

Rachel shook her head. "You're fine, Ella just needed a little break from the commotion of the new baby."

"I think Elizabeth could use you upstairs." Kerry said gently.

"Alright, come on Ella." She said as she moved to pick up her younger sister.

Kerry shook her head lightly. "I think Ella could use a nap don't you?"

Rachel cocked her eyebrow in confusion, but went along with it. "Of course, Ella do you want to go with Doctor Weaver to get some sleep?" Ella nodded tiredly.

They were all walking out of the cafeteria when Kerry whispered softly toward Rachel. "Elizabeth is being examined for an infection. She started having heavy pains and more bleeding. They're worried that they're going to have to give her medication that won't allow her to breastfeed." Rachel nodded showing she understood. "I know that these things really aren't your responsibility, but there really isn't anyone else related to her…"

"It's okay I understand." Rachel replied quietly. "Has anyone heard from Carol?" She asked hopefully.

"She's covering Abby's shift downstairs." Kerry replied in surprise. "If I had known you were looking for her…"

"Carol and Elizabeth are good friends. I think it would be good if…" Rachel began.

"Of course. I'll send her up." Kerry said softly.

* * *

Elizabeth was uncomfortably being moved into stirrups for her examination. "It's alright sweetheart." She said gently to her newborn who was being carried by Rachel, crying intently.

"Do you want mommy?" Rachel asked her quietly as she tried to calm her down. "She just needs a minute to take care of herself and then she's all yours." She said in a calm and kind voice, knowing that inflection was much more important than the content of the words.

"Elizabeth?" Suddenly a new voice joined the conversation, that of Carol Ross.

Elizabeth suddenly lost all of the control she had been keeping for the past several moments and broke down into tears.

"Oh honey." Carol said gently as she quickly moved over to allow Elizabeth to hold onto her hand. She quietly began to rub her back. "Are you doing alright?" Carol lipped toward Rachel.

Rachel nodded as she indicated that Amanda had fallen asleep.

"Elizabeth everything's going to be okay." Carol said gently to her friend as she squeezed her hand softly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, forcing tears out of them and onto her cheeks. "I feel like everything is falling apart." Elizabeth said quietly.

"Alright Doctor Corday the infection doesn't look like anything that won't be cleared up by antibiotics and rest." Doctor Coburn informed her after a few minutes.

"How long?" Elizabeth asked without opening her eyes.

"At least 48 hours." Doctor Coburn said matter-of-factly as she helped Elizabeth get comfortable again on the bed.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't possibly stay in bed for forty-eight hours, I have three girls to take care of…"

"Doctor Corday you just gave birth, you can't go pushing your limits immediately, especially not with an infection." Doctor Coburn admonished.

"There isn't anyone else to push those limits. I have too much to do to be here for more than a few more hours." Elizabeth replied, clearly frustrated.

"Elizabeth calm down." Carol reminded her gently. "It's going to be alright. Amanda can go back to the nursery and we can pump milk for her for the next few feedings so that you can get some sleep."

"What about Ella?" Elizabeth replied tiredly.

"I'll take care of her Elizabeth it's fine." Rachel replied as she gently set Amanda down in the cradle to go to the nursery.

Elizabeth shook her head with intent. "Rachel it's not your responsibility. I've put you through too much over the past day, you deserve a rest more than I do."

Rachel immediately moved over and took Elizabeth's other hand. "I'm fine. I'll go down and find Ella, Kerry was going to find her somewhere to go to sleep. We'll both get some rest and then we can find something to entertain us."

"I'll bring Kate and Tess to the hospital later today so that Ella can play with them. I'm sure that the pediatric wing would let the three of them play in one of the playrooms if Rachel is supervising." Carol supplied helpfully.

Elizabeth shook her head clearly frustrated as Doctor Coburn made her exit, along with an OB nurse taking Amanda to the nursery. "How am I supposed to do this?" She whimpered as she collapsed helplessly into Carol's arms.

"I know it's hard. I thought I was going to die for the first few weeks after I had Kate and Tess. You and Mark were there for our daughters when they needed help and we're here for yours." Carol whispered softly.

Rachel was wringing her fingers anxiously from the chair on the other side of the room when Carol looked over at her, and could sense the unshed tears behind her eyes. "I'm going to go with Rachel to make sure Ella's alright and then I'll be right back." She assured Elizabeth before leading Rachel out into the hallway. She smiled softly at her. "You have been very strong today Rachel."

Rachel nodded and bit her lip. "I'm sorry." She said as she furiously wiped her eyes, trying to keep the tears away.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Carol assured her gently. "You're absolutely fine." She said as she carefully wrapped her arms around the young girl.

Rachel shook her head. "I shouldn't be causing any extra problems right now. There are too many more important things to worry about."

"Rachel you're not disposable." Carol said gently as their hug ended. "To Elizabeth you are of the utmost importance. If you need help with anything you should talk to her."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't need anything… I'm just…"

"Rachel you helped deliver your baby sister last night, in an extremely stressful situation. It's okay to not be alright." Carol assured her gently.

Rachel's breath caught and she looked incredibly sick. Carol could see her face turning green and she quickly grabbed a bin from the cart across the hall and handed it for her to heave into. "I'm sorry." She said quietly a few minutes later as Carol dumped the bin into a waste bin down the hallway.

Carol shook her head. "Let's get you settled downstairs with Ella." She told her quietly.

Several minutes later they walked into a fairly quiet ER. "Carol how is the newest Greene doing?" Doug asked as he turned the corner to see his wife.

Carol quickly shook her head indicating that they'd discuss it later. "Do you know where Ella is?" She asked him as he quickly kissed her.

"Last time I saw her she was sitting on the counter being entertained by Haleh and some other nurses." Doug replied.

"She's not asleep?" Rachel asked quietly, through her own tired haze.

"Well she was… But then we needed the room she was asleep in… And she's been too energetic since." Doug told her with a small smile.

When Rachel didn't return the smile he abandoned his mission to make her laugh. "I'll see you later." He indicated to his wife before moving off to continue working.

"Rachel look!" Ella said excitedly as she saw her older sister. She held up a coloring book that she had clearly spent a large amount of time coloring in. "Last page!"

Rachel feigned a smile. "That's great Elle." She told her, unable to keep her eyes off from the toes of her shoes.

"Is Rachel sick?" Ella asked, clearly confused.

Just then Susan came around the corner from doing her night rounds on patients. "Rachel?" She asked her immediately, sensing that something was wrong.

"I…" She began to try to explain before she broke down into tears.

Susan quickly pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey… hey… It's alright." She comforted her softly. Just then Cater walked in from the ambulance bay, wiping snow off from his hair and clothing. "Carter can you take over my charts?" She asked as she pointed to the pile of four clipboards sitting on the counter across from her.

"I just got in!" Carter complained before noticing the tear stained cheeks of Rachel, and the clearly distressed Ella.

"Is Doctor Corday alright?" He asked, immediately assuming the worst.

Susan nodded. "I just need some time to talk to the girls." She said softly as she picked Ella up from off the counter. The three of them quietly made their way into the lounge, the entire while, Susan feeling anxious about what she might be taking on.

_**Author's Note: Sorry for such a long time between updates! I had to go to back to school after missing it for so long so I had a lot of make-up work to do. This chapter was a bit longer and I intend to still write some more over this next break I have from school so hopefully that makes up for it! Please review!**_


	25. She's My Daughter

Rachel sat down at the table in the lounge, her eyes wet with tears, and her throat choked with nervousness.

"Rachel?" Susan asked her quietly.

"I'm really sorry." Rachel apologized as she pulled her feet up onto the chair and buried her face into her knees.

Susan set Ella down on a chair and handed her the coloring materials before she moved over to sit next to Rachel. "Okay Rachel. I know something's wrong, do you want to talk about it?"

"I guess it's just a delayed reaction…" Rachel dismissed it.

"From what?" Susan asked her gently.

"I helped deliver my little sister… And it was one of the most terrifying things I've ever done." Rachel admitted. "I thought for a while that both of them might not make it, which terrified me."

"You did everything you could. You called the hospital and I was able to be there to help. You did everything you should have." Susan assured her.

Rachel nodded. "I know..." she admitted softly. "I just feel like I should have been able to do something more."

Just then Doug came into the lounge. "Oh hey, I'm sorry…" He said awkwardly as he began to back out the door.

Rachel shook her head. "No it's fine." She dismissed the situation. "I'm fine."

"You don't look like someone who's fine." Doug said with a smile as he handed her a cup of hot water and a package of hot chocolate. "Your Dad would have been very proud of you today." He said as he sat down at the table.

Rachel shook her head. "He wouldn't be anything but disappointed." She said quietly.

"Whoa there." Doug said as he sipped his coffee. "You know that's not true."

"It is… Everything I did was a disappointment to him. He was always much more engaged in Ella." Rachel said quietly.

"Ella's not even three." Doug pointed out. "She requires a lot more attention than you do."

"WELL MAYBE I NEEDED THE ATTENTION!" Rachel suddenly snapped. "MY DAD WAS DYING AND EVERYONE EXPECTED ME TO BE THE STRONG ONE!"

"Hey…" Doug said gently as he pulled her into a strong hug. "You've always been a strong one. Ever since you were a little girl. You always pulled Carol's hair and made a big mess when you were told to keep everything clean. You never wanted to give into much of anything."

Rachel smiled. "I just miss him so much."

"You know you've got a big responsibility." Doug said gently. "You have to teach Ella and the new baby all about how great of a father they have."

"One day Ella's going to hate me." Rachel said quietly.

"Why would Ella hate you?" Doug asked her carefully.

"I almost killed her about a year ago… It was an accident… But she almost died." Rachel said, not looking up from her intent stare at her hands.

"Hey you know that Elizabeth doesn't hold that against you…" Susan said gently.

Doug looked at her with interest, wondering what could have happened.

"WELL I DO! I HATE MYSELF FOR WHAT I'VE DONE!" Rachel screamed angrily, causing Ella to look up in fear at her older sister.

Rachel had slammed her head against the table in anger and was continuously hitting the wood, trying to express her feelings. "Is she alright?" Doug asked, ultimately concerned for her safety.

Susan shook her head as she dialed a number on her pager. "She's been diagnosed with PTSD. It's chronic, and she's been in treatment for the past several months."

"What happened…" Doug began to question before Susan quickly shook her head indicating that that was a conversation for another time.

"Rachel I'm having Angela come down. She's going to take you upstairs and I'll come up as soon as Ella's asleep again." Susan told her calmly, knowing that one of the most important things to Rachel when she was having anxiety attacks was to know exactly what was going to happen.

Ella was looking at her older sister who was visibly breaking down in front of her. "Rachel… Rachel…!" Ella said angrily as she tried to get her attention.

"Ella sweetie you need to leave Rachel alone." Susan told her gently as she moved her over to the couch.

"NO SHE'S CRYING!" Ella yelled angrily.

"What's going on?" Kerry's voice joined the conversation causing Rachel to panic even further. She ran across the room and shrank into the corner.

"Alright, everybody out!" Susan insisted quickly as Doug picked up Ella and the three other's made their way out into the ER.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… I'm sorry…" Rachel was muttering into her hands as she furiously wiped at her tears.

Angela quickly made her way into the lounge and crouched down next to Rachel. "You alright?" She asked her softly.

Rachel angrily shook her head as she entangled her fingers in her hair. "I want to be… I don't want this." She whimpered.

"Alright let's get you upstairs so you can rest and then we'll talk." Angela said as she helped her up and the two of them slowly moved toward the elevator.

* * *

"Shhh Ella we don't want to wake your mother." Carol said softly as the entered into Elizabeth's room several hours later.

Elizabeth moaned as she woke up. "How long was I out?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"About fourteen hours." Carol replied quietly.

Elizabeth groaned as she tried to sit up. "I forgot how sore this makes you." She admitted with a small smile.

"Mummy Rachel cried." Ella said seriously.

"Is she alright?" Elizabeth asked, automatically concerned for her, but unable to find any energy to back behind her question.

Carol bit her lip. "She's…"

"She had an attack again didn't she?" Elizabeth asked tiredly.

Carol nodded. "She's doing a lot better, but psych has a hold on her because she was attempting self-injury while not under supervision."

Elizabeth wiped her hand across her forehead tiredly. "I need to get up there…"

Carol shook her head. "You need to rest." She insisted softly as she set Ella down on a chair

"Rachel needs continuous support." Elizabeth insisted as she continued to wake up.

"Why is she…?" Carol tried to form the question, trying to fill in the blanks in this complicated life she was trying to help with.

Elizabeth sighed. "She's been through so much it's hard to figure out exactly what it is… But in a span of about two months she lost her father, was in an abusive relationship, got thrown out of an abusive home situation, and she's occasionally showing signs of violence."

"She… she said something about having almost killing Ella." Carol said awkwardly. "Doug was asking if I knew anything about it."

"Unrelated." Elizabeth dismissed it.

Carol's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What…?"

"It was a drug overdose." Elizabeth said simply.

"Care to elaborate?" Carol asked in surprise.

"No." Elizabeth replied quietly. They sat in silence for several moments before Elizabeth spoke up. "I can't live in that past." She admitted quietly.

"What happened?" She asked gently.

"I _can't_ live in that past." Elizabeth insisted. "It was one of the worst days I've ever had and if I don't let go of it I can't live the life I am today."

"Okay… calm down." Carol said gently. "You need your rest."

"Rachel." Elizabeth said tiredly.

"Get a bit more sleep and then I'll see if I can swing getting you up to see her with Doctor Coburn." Carol requested quietly. "Ella needs a nap as well so you two can get some rest."

"Mummy?" Ella requested carefully.

Elizabeth nodded and Ella gleefully ran across the room and onto the bed next to her mother where she gently cuddled up next to her. "Shhh. It's nap time." Ella informed her importantly.

"Yes." She acknowledged her daughter with a slight nod. "So let's nap." She reminded her with a small smile.

* * *

Elizabeth awoke again to find Ella awake and playing with her doll on the edge of the bed.

"Mummy!" Ella said excitedly when she saw her mother had woken up.

"Hello Ella." She replied, feeling a lot more rested than she did before.

"The baby was hungry." Ella said importantly.

Carol was sitting in the chair reading a book and she looked up. "They had to give Amanda some formula a few hours ago, they ran out of pumped milk and I asked them not to wake you."

"Alright." Elizabeth acknowledged her. "She's probably getting hungry again, will you let them know I'm awake?"

Carol nodded and came back a few minutes later holding Amanda.

"Hello sweetie." Elizabeth said fondly as Carol handed her, her daughter. "Are you hungry Amanda?" She asked her softly as she prepared to nurse her.

"Mummy Rachel tried to run away." Ella said several minutes later causing Elizabeth to move suddenly making Amanda cry out in fear.

"Shhh… Mum's sorry." Elizabeth said gently as she attempted to get her to latch back on. "Carol?" She asked softly several minutes later.

Carol bit her lip nervously. "She doesn't trust herself. Angela's been trying to get her to talk but she just keeps apologizing and asking to go home. At one point she tried running out."

"She needs me up there." Elizabeth said quietly. "She's been getting better but that requires a lot of support, consistent support."

"I know Elizabeth but are you sure you can provide that?" Carol asked her gently.

"SHE'S ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS!" Elizabeth lost it. "I… have… to… be… there." She said angrily through clenched teeth. "Not because I'm sorry for her, not because she's Mark's daughter, not because she doesn't have anyone else, but because she is one of my daughters. It doesn't matter that I'm not particularly the best person to provide what she needs, I'm the one who does."

Carol took in a deep breath. "Alright." She conceded before going to find Doctor Coburn.

_**Author's Note: Another chapter! I hope you're enjoying the story! The next chapter is going to be very Elizabeth/Rachel centric so stay tuned! Please Review!**_


	26. You're My Daughter

Rachel was lying down on a bed in the psych ward, running her nails under each other trying to clean out the undersides. She heard a knock on her door and she looked up to see Angela. She nodded slightly indicating that she could come in.

"Someone is here to see you." Angela said quietly.

"I don't want to see anybody." Rachel replied, turning over so that she wasn't facing the door.

"I was afraid you would say that." A soft voice with a clear British accent said from the doorway.

Rachel turned around, her eyes opened wide. "Elizabeth…" She whispered quietly. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have…"

Elizabeth shook her head as she rolled her wheelchair over to next to Rachel's bed. "We're going to be okay Angela." She dismissed her with a smile. "Rachel." She said quietly.

"You really shouldn't be up here." Rachel said as she stared at her hands.

"Ella and Amanda are taken care of, it's you I'm worried about right now." Elizabeth told her honestly. "Please talk to me."

"You need to heal Elizabeth." Rachel said quietly without looking up at her.

"So do you." Elizabeth said softly as she carefully stood up and sat down next to her on her bed.

"Hey… just… go back downstairs." Rachel tried to push her away as she moved down to the end of the bed.

"Rachel you need me." Elizabeth told her gently as she settled herself into the bed. "You are just as important to me as Ella or Amanda."

Rachel shook her head. "That's just it. I'm not as important to you. I can't be as important to you. I get it. I'm not your daughter, no matter how much I wish I were. I'm just your dead husband's awkward teenage mistake."

Elizabeth looked at her, seeing the pain in her eyes. "Rachel."

"No I'm sorry." Rachel said quietly. "I've just caused more problems than necessary here. I'll go home to St. Louis after I'm discharged again. It's fine… I'll just… I'll figure it out."

"No." Elizabeth said after a moment of silence. "Rachel you're not even seventeen yet, you can't just figure it out for yourself." She told her matter-of-factly. "I care about you Rachel, I want you to feel safe."

"I do… You've done so much for me already." Rachel assured her. "I just feel like I've asked too much of someone who isn't related to me."

Elizabeth sat in silence for several moments before she spoke up. "When I first found out about this baby… I was angry with your father. I felt like he has left me with more than he had told me. Two of his children for me to be their mother. Then you showed up and suddenly there were three kids I was faced with, one of which I hardly knew."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rachel asked feeling confused, and slightly hurt.

"Because at first, I didn't know how I was going to handle triple the responsibility. But now I've gotten it figured out. Mark left me with three daughters. Two that are biologically mine, but all three of them mean the world to me. I'll always care about them, and I consider them all my daughters." Elizabeth said quietly. "Rachel, you're my daughter. You can be a complete pain and sometimes I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't shown up months ago. But I know I wouldn't give up the time I get with you for anything."

When Rachel didn't respond Elizabeth looked over to see her having tears running down her face. "Hey…" Elizabeth said gently as she pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Rachel whimpered. "I'm sorry I'm just a screwed up teenager, I'm sorry I keep almost killing Ella."

"Hey you know I don't…" Elizabeth said gently.

Rachel shook her head. "I know that's what you keep saying. But that doesn't mean that I don't blame myself."

"Rachel you shouldn't…" Elizabeth tried to comfort her.

"But I do Elizabeth! I'm terrified that somehow I'm going to hurt Amanda. It's not like I was trying to hurt Ella when I did, but it just happened. Anything could happen to Amanda, and I'm terrified I might mess her up too." Rachel admitted quietly.

"You didn't mess up Ella." Elizabeth said softly.

"We don't know that for sure! Dad said she could have learning and other mental disabilities later in life that we can't detect right now!" Rachel said angrily, mostly at herself.

"Hey… if that happens, we'll deal with it then. But it's not going to change how much I care about you." Elizabeth assured her. "Rachel, I can't tell you I don't hate what happened, but I don't hate you for what happened. I know you didn't try to hurt Ella. I'm not thrilled you were keeping drugs in our house, but I know that you wouldn't hurt her on purpose."

Rachel looked up at her, eyes still damp with tears. "Please… Don't act like you're my mother, it only makes it hurt more."

"Rachel… I know that in every literal sense of the word, I'll always only be your step-mother, but it's pretty safe to say that in nearly every sense of the word I've been your mother for the last seven months." Elizabeth assured her. "If you want me to be the person that you think of as your mother, then you certainly can. I don't want to force it on you but…"

Rachel immediately collapsed into Elizabeth's arms in tears.

Elizabeth waited her cry out, knowing that she really just needed to get it out. Almost ten minutes later Elizabeth began running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "Are you feeling any better?" She asked her quietly.

"I'm not sure." Rachel admitted honestly. "I still feel like the most terrible person alive."

"People have done worse things… worse things to me… worse things to your father…" Elizabeth assured her.

"What about Ella?" Rachel asked quietly.

"She's almost three years old. The worst thing that's going to happen to her hasn't happened yet." Elizabeth said simply.

Rachel shrugged. "But at this point… I've done the worst thing to her…"

"Rachel she idolizes you." Elizabeth reminded her quietly. "She was barely nine months old. She doesn't remember it, and she probably never will."

"But…" Rachel tried to protest before another knock came at the door, this time being Susan carrying Ella.

"Can we come in?" Susan asked as she smiled at Ella. "Ella has something to show you."

"Look!" Ella said happily as she handed Rachel a piece of paper.

Rachel said up as she wiped her eyes. She took the piece of paper from her younger sister. "Ella…" She said with a smile. On the paper Ella had written her name, something she had been working on with Rachel for weeks.

"Ella Jessica Greene." She said importantly pointing to each of her names on the paper.

"Ella Jessica Greene you are a very bright little girl." Elizabeth said with a smile as she picked up her daughter and set her down on the bed.

"Mummy!" Ella squealed happily as she snuggled into her mother's side. "Rachel are you better yet?" She asked her older sister impatiently.

Rachel sighed as she accepted Ella into her arms as she moved over. "I wish I were sweetie."

"Why aren't you?" Ella asked with a pouty face.

"Ella stop pestering your sister." Elizabeth chastised her.

"I want Rachel to get better. Make her better mummy." Ella insisted crankily.

"I can't Ella." Elizabeth told her gently.

"But you're a doctor." Ella reminded her sweetly.

Elizabeth smiled. "I'm not the right kind of doctor for Rachel sweetheart."

"Is daddy the right doctor?" Ella asked her quietly.

Elizabeth shook her head gently. "No sweetie."

"I want to go home with Rachel." Ella said sadly.

Rachel smiled softly. "I'm going to go home Isoon, and then we'll have a movie marathon. With fries and ice cream." She told her sister with a smile.

"Promise?" Ella asked hopefully.

Rachel nodded. "I promise." She assured her as she picked her up and gave her a hug.

"Excuse me Doctor Corday?" A nurse interrupted them.

Elizabeth looked up from her daughters. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but your daughter isn't taking to the bottle. We were wondering if you're available to come down to feed her." The nurse asked quietly.

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course." She said immediately. "I'll be right down." The nurse nodded and left the room to go back to OB. "Rachel are you going to be alright?" She asked her genuinely concerned.

"Of course… I'm fine." Rachel dismissed her.

Elizabeth shook her head as she carefully got up. "Rachel I know that you're not fine. I wouldn't go if Amanda…"

"I know... I know." Rachel said softly as she pulled Ella into her arms. "Is it alright if Ella stays with me?" She asked as she curled one of Ella's blonde locks around her finger.

"Of course." Elizabeth nodded as she sat down in her wheelchair. "I'll be back soon." She assured her before Susan quietly got up from her seat across the room to help her back downstairs. As soon as they were out of the earshot of Rachel's room Elizabeth looked up at Susan. "Will you keep an eye on them for me?" She asked quietly.

Susan nodded. "I'd be happy to." She replied honestly. "I'm really sorry about what Robert said…"

Elizabeth bit her lip. "No… It's fine." She replied awkwardly. "I'm just sorry that things came to that."

"It's not your fault Elizabeth. You were faced with an incredibly stressful and unexpected situation, everyone buckles under that kind of pressure." Susan said gently. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's fine." She replied, not looking up from her hands in her lap. The rest of the way back to OB Elizabeth sat in silence with her thoughts running through her head at an incredibly rapid pace. _I seriously don't know what I'm doing anymore. I'm putting on a face for the girls but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. If Mark were here I wouldn't have to deal with this… I can't deal with this… How am I supposed to deal with this?_

_**Author's Note: Yet another chapter! I hope you're enjoying it! I'm going to keep writing for awhile tonight so you may see another chapter later this evening! Please Review!**_


	27. Two Parents

****TWO WEEKS LATER****

"Mummy!" Ella yelled as she half-ran down the stairs as quickly as her legs would move her.

"Ella please…" Elizabeth tried to get her to quiet down so that she wouldn't disturb Amanda.

"But mummy!" Ella insisted as she made her way into the kitchen holding her stuffed panda under her small arm.

"Ella you're going to wake…" She said as she set the pacifier she was holding on the counter.

"Mummy Rachel's in my room!" Ella complained angrily.

"That's fine sweetheart." Elizabeth tried to quiet her as she gently rocked Amanda, trying to keep her calm.

"SHE'S PUTTING MY TOYS AWAY!" Ella suddenly began screaming, causing Amanda to wake and being her own wailing.

"Ella!" Elizabeth sighed exasperatedly. "If you don't like what Rachel's doing just ask her to stop. I asked her to help you clean the house, so just help her clean up."

"BUT SHE'S PUTTING MY TOYS IN ALL THE WRONG SPOTS!" Ella complained angrily as she stomped her foot.

"Alright young lady, go help Rachel put your things where you want them." Elizabeth said as she gently hoisted Amanda up to her shoulder to console her. "And please try to be quiet." She urged quietly as she tried to get her youngest daughter back to sleep.

Ella nodded importantly before running up the stairs again and into her bedroom. "Mummy says you're grounded!" Ella said as she stuck her tongue out at Rachel.

"No she didn't." Rachel replied as she set her hands on her hips.

"Yeah-huh." Ella insisted.

"She did not." Rachel replied as she made her younger sister's bed.

"Did too!" Ella said angrily as she began to pull her toys out from where Rachel had put them away.

"No she didn't." Rachel replied, starting to feel frustrated. "Stop making a mess of your room. Grandma and Grandpa are coming in from London tomorrow to meet Amanda."

"YOU'RE MEAN!" Ella yelled angrily.

"Ella!" Elizabeth's voice sounded up the stairs.

"Go mom wants you." Rachel encouraged her as she began to clean up the toys as Ella pulled them out.

"No." Ella said as she sat down on the floor and crossed her legs.

"Ella." Rachel warned before Elizabeth's voice sounded up the stairs.

"ELLA JESSICA GREENE!"

Ella's eyes opened wide as she heard the anger in her mother's voice. She quickly made her way back down the stairs.

"Ella Jessica Greene, you left your puzzle on the floor in the living room." Elizabeth told her matter-of-factly. "What happens when you leave your puzzles on the floor?"

Ella looked down at her purple socks with sudden interest.

"Ella?"

"I has to clean it up?" She asked hopefully.

"And?" Elizabeth said as she supported a now very awake Amanda in her arms.

"I have to go to my room for twice the number of minutes of how old I am." Ella said quietly.

"So how many minutes is that?" Elizabeth asked her gently.

"I'm two." Ella said softly as she looked sadly at her socks.

Elizabeth nodded. "So that means four minutes." She told her, holding up four fingers. "Pick up your puzzle and let me know when you go to your room." She instructed Ella simply.

Ella nodded as she began to pick up her puzzle pieces.

Rachel came downstairs several minutes later, surprised to find Ella sitting on the floor crying. "Hey, what's going on?" She asked softly as she sat down next to Ella.

"I got in trouble." Ella said softly as she continued to break apart her puzzle and put it away.

Rachel bit the inside of her lip, trying not to giggle at how upset Ella looked at everything. "Well you know you can't leave your puzzles on the floor."

"Mummy yelled." Ella said sadly.

"Hey she's just stressed. She's not seriously mad at you." Rachel said quietly as she began to help Ella pick up the pieces. "She loves you Ella."

"No she's mad at me." Ella said sadly as she tried not to cry any harder.

"Okay… honey it's alright." Rachel told her quietly. "How about I finish picking this up and you go up to your room for a little bit?" She suggested as she began to pick up the pieces.

Ella nodded as she got up and went quietly up the stairs.

Rachel picked up the rest of the puzzle before going into the kitchen where Elizabeth was feeding Amanda. "Hey." Rachel greeted her as she grabbed a can of diet coke from the fridge. When Elizabeth didn't respond Rachel sat down at the table across from her. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "I'm so stressed, and tired, and sore…. I honestly didn't mean to yell at her…"

"She's going to be fine." Rachel promised. "She's a little freaked right now, but it's going to be fine."

Elizabeth shook her head as Amanda finished feeding and she buttoned up her shirt. "I just spend so much time worrying about this little one that I forget that Ella's still a baby herself."

"Hey…" Rachel said gently, sensing the tears coming forward. She gently put an arm around Elizabeth's back. "It's okay."

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried to protest.

Rachel shook her head. "By the time I was Ella's age both of my parents weren't even considering my needs anymore. You're doing the best you can, and that's what really matters, even if you feel like Ella's getting less than you hoped for her."

"If Mark we're here I wouldn't have to juggle as few hours as I have between the three of you." Elizabeth said quietly as she gently patted Amanda's back as she rested on her shoulder.

"There's really no sense in talking about what might have happened if dad we're here." Rachel said softly. "I think Ella could use a few minutes of those hours today though." She said before nervously biting her lip.

"Alright let me get Amanda down." Elizabeth said softly before she started to stand up.

"I can put her down if you want." Rachel offered. "I mean… if you want me to I'll take her up and try to get her to…"

Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "It's okay Rachel. I'd love it if you put her down." She encouraged her as she wrapped Amanda into a bundle of blankets. "Make sure she's facing up when she falls asleep, she won't roll over." She reminded her.

"I know." Rachel said with a smirk. "Hello Amanda." She said with a smile before going up the stairs to Elizabeth's room.

Elizabeth sighed as she sat at the dining room table for several minutes. "Alright." She murmured before getting up and heading up the stairs. She knocked gently on Ella's doorframe before going into her room. "Hello sweetheart."

Ella looked at her briefly before bursting into tears.

"Oh honey." Elizabeth said softly as she carefully sat down in the rocking chair, wincing slightly at the pain it induced. "Come here." She urged her quietly which caused Ella to run across the room and into her mother's arms. "I'm so sorry sweetie." She promised her as she pressed her lips gently into her hair. Ella continued to sob into her mother's lap. "Is there something I can do for you?" She asked her softly.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Ella asked, remembering all of the nights right after Mark's death where she slept in Elizabeth's room.

"Oh honey…" Elizabeth said quietly. "You wouldn't get any sleep in mum's room." She told her softly.

"Why not?" Ella asked honestly as she climbed up onto Elizabeth's knees.

"Because Amanda is in my room." Elizabeth reminded her gently.

"She can sleep in my room." Ella offered with a smile.

Elizabeth looked down at her daughter, feeling horrible about everything she couldn't understand. "I need to sleep in the same room as her so that I can feed her."

"Why can't I sleep with you?" Ella asked sadly.

"Because you'd be awake all night which isn't good for you." Elizabeth told her. "Look sweetheart as soon as the baby is old enough to sleep in her room we're going to have a fantastic sleepover right here in your room."

"But I have a baby bed." Ella pointed out as she directed her mother's attention to her crib.

"Well would you like a big girl bed?" Elizabeth asked with a smile. Ella nodded excitedly. "Well I'm fairly certain we can arrange that. We're going to need the crib for Amanda, and so you're going to get a big girl bed."

"No." Ella said suddenly.

Elizabeth sighed, realizing she probably shouldn't have mentioned the baby. "Are you jealous of the baby?" she asked her daughter honestly. Ella shrugged. "Ella how about we go take a nap in mum's room right now?" She offered softly. "Amanda will probably wake us up in a couple of hours, but then we can stay up later tonight and get some mum and Ella time alright?"

Ella nodded as she got off from her mother's lap. Elizabeth winced as she stood up, trying to ignore the shooting pain that she was constantly experiencing. "Come on then." She said softly as she took her daughter's hand and they walked down the hall.

* * *

"Rachel would you mind ordering some take-out?" Elizabeth asked tiredly from the couch where she was once again feeding Amanda.

Rachel looked up from her spot at the kitchen table where she was pining over paperwork for school. "Sure. Anything you want in particular?" She asked as she stood up and moved into the living room.

"Nothing super spicy." Elizabeth requested softly, trying not to disturb Amanda.

"Alright." Rachel nodded before heading back into the kitchen to find a phonebook.

A couple of moments later Ella began to scoot her way down the staircase, several blankets in tow. "Mummy I'm ready for mum and Ella time!" Ella said excitedly once she made her way down the stairs.

Elizabeth sighed. "Oh sweetie." She realized that she had completely forgotten her promise to her daughter and that she was entirely too exhausted to stay up much longer. "How about you have some Rachel and Ella time tonight?" She tried to suggest.

"I had that all day!" Ella exclaimed angrily.

"Okay… okay…" Elizabeth said gently as she readjusted Amanda. "I'm really sorry mum just doesn't have time to…"

"YOU NEVER DO!" Ella yelled at her angrily before running into Rachel's room and slamming the door shut.

Rachel quickly came into the living room. "What happened?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I can't take care of all of you." She admitted quietly. "Amanda takes so much of my attention…"

"It's okay." Rachel assured her. "Ella's too young to understand that you're doing what's best for all three of us."

Elizabeth shrugged. "How is this best for Ella? She needs the attention of two parents and she's getting less than half of the attention of one."

"But you're trying." Rachel reminded her. "I'll go talk to her." She offered.

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled honestly. "Thank you so much."

_**Author's Note: Hope you're enjoying! Please review!**_


	28. A Different Home

"Ella?" Rachel asked quietly as she knocked on her little sister's door.

"Go away." Ella said angrily as she buried her face into a blanket.

Rachel smiled gently at her. "Are you okay?" She asked her honestly.

Ella looked at her, trying to determine what her answer was. Suddenly tears sprang to her eyes and her lip quivered. "No."

"Awww honey." Rachel said empathetically as she moved over to sit next to her younger sister. "I'm sorry Ella." She told her honestly. "Being the big sister is hard work and we didn't prepare you enough for this."

"I hate you!" Ella said angrily as she punched Rachel's arm with all the force she could muster.

"Ella…" Rachel said quietly as she gently held onto her hands to prevent her from hitting. "Ella what's the matter?"

"Daddy left me and mummy doesn't love me anymore." Ella cried, her small body clearly wracked with anguish.

"No… no sweetie." Rachel said quietly feeling the pain of her own life seeping through her mind. "I promise you that mommy still loves you. She's just really tired and it's really hard for her to figure out this new situation by herself."

"When I was born was she this tired?" Ella asked quietly as she climbed up onto her sister's lap.

Rachel smiled. "Having a baby always makes someone tired. She was a bit more organized because dad helped her, but she was tired for months."

"Months?!" Ella asked, clearly terrified. "I just want my mummy back."

Rachel held Ella tightly in her arms. "I know sweetie… I know." She said gently as she carefully ran her fingers through Ella's hair. "You're tired. Do you want a bedtime story?"

"I want Princess Penny." Ella said quietly.

Rachel bit her lip nervously. "I don't know Princess Penny." She admitted quietly. Ella broke down into tears. "Ella…" She tried to calm her down as she stood up and put her into her crib. "Sweetie everything is going to be alright." Ella continued to cry, her face stained with tears.

Rachel reached over and began rubbing her earlobes. After several minutes Ella's tears stopped and her breathing became heavier indicating that she was lulled into sleep.

Rachel sighed and she moved out of Ella's room shutting the door gently behind her. She went back down the stairs and found Elizabeth asleep on the couch, with Amanda resting on her chest. "Hey sweetie." She said gently as she took Amanda and wrapped her softly in a blanket and sat down with her. "Did you know that you're a very lucky little girl?" She asked her with a smile, knowing that she wouldn't get a response.

"You have a wonderful and intelligent mother that is giving up everything that she wants for you and your sister. You're very very lucky." She told her with a smile as Amanda's deep chocolate brown eyes looked up at her. "You have Dad's eyes and your mum's nose." She told her as she let out a small yawn. "And Ella's yawn." She said with a smirk.

"Where's Amanda?" Elizabeth's voice asked, clearly exhausted.

"I've got her." Rachel said quietly.

"I'm sorry… I just… I'm so exhausted." Elizabeth said quietly as she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"It's fine." Rachel assured her. "She fell asleep just now."

"Oh good, I've got a couple of hours before she wants to be fed again." Elizabeth said quietly as she ran her fingers through hair across her scalp.

"Ella's asleep too. She didn't go down without a fight but she's out." Rachel said quietly as she gently ran her fingers across Amanda's soft cheek.

"How are your registration papers going?" Elizabeth asked quietly as she picked up a glass of water from the coffee table.

"I finished them earlier this afternoon." Rachel admitted quietly. "I just need to stick them in the mail and I'll be starting at Crestmont Academy in late March."

Elizabeth nodded softly in approval. "That's great."

"You should go to bed." Rachel encouraged her. "I'll wake you if Amanda wakes up."

Elizabeth shook her head. "This is ridiculous Rachel, I'm her mother, I'll take care of her." She assured her.

"I've got her." Rachel replied quietly. "I like taking care of her, it's really not a problem."

Elizabeth sighed, her exhaustion deciding how this was going to end. "Alright, promise you'll come get me?" She yawned.

Rachel nodded as she gently set Amanda down in the playpen next to the couch. "I'll stay down here and read."

Elizabeth nodded before heading tiredly up the stairs.

* * *

Rachel looked up from her book and to the clock, five o'clock. She opened her eyes wide in surprise. It had been nearly four hours and Amanda hadn't woken up. "Awww… You're growing up." She whispered softly as she looked over to her little sister. "Sleeping for more than two hours at a time, you're so grown up."

"Rachel?" Ella called quietly from up the stairs.

"Hey you." Rachel greeted her. "How did you sleep?"

"Bad." Ella replied sadly as she made her way slowly down the stairs.

"I'm sorry." Rachel said as she pouted slightly with her lower lip. It was then that Amanda finally squirmed around. "Good morning." Rachel said with a smile as she picked up Amanda, who hadn't yet start to cry. "You're probably getting hungry aren't you?"

Amanda gurgled in response as she was gently rocked in Rachel's arms. "Should we find your mommy?" Rachel asked her happily as she moved over toward the stairs. "Ella if you wait in the kitchen I'll come help you get some breakfast in a few minutes." Rachel said as she passed her sister on the stairs.

Rachel quietly knocked on Elizabeth's door. "Hey someone just woke up." She whispered quietly.

"What time is it?"

"Five." Rachel replied quietly as she entered the room.

"She slept for four hours?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

Rachel yawned. "I was awake the whole time, so I can verify that."

"You should go sleep." Elizabeth said as she took her newborn from her.

"I need to get Ella some breakfast, she's waiting in the kitchen." Rachel replied as she wrapped her jacket slightly tighter around herself. "I'll get some sleep later today once Ella's settled into doing something."

"Rachel…" Elizabeth said softly, feeling bad for her. "I appreciate all you're trying to do… but you shouldn't wear yourself out doing things that I could very well do myself."

"I'm fine." Rachel dismissed her once again, this time her voice cracking slightly.

Elizabeth's eyebrow furrowed in concern. "Hey…" She said gently as she grabbed gently onto Rachel's hand.

"I'm fine." Rachel shook her head. This time furiously wiping her eyes to prevent her tears from hitting her cheeks. "I'm fine really." She insisted.

Elizabeth moved over slightly so that Rachel could join her. "You're not fine." She pointed out softly. "What's going on?" Elizabeth asked her gently after she sat down next to her.

"It's stupid." Rachel admitted quietly. "Honestly…"

"Rachel." Elizabeth said gently. "You've been out of sorts for the last week, what's going on?"

Rachel bit her lip nervously. "I… I was looking at the admit list for students at Crestmont for next semester." She admitted quietly. "There's a David Smart on the list."

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. "As in…?"

Rachel shook her head. "I'm sure it's not, Smart and David are both common names… I just… I'll be in his classes, he's going into healthcare."

"That's not stupid Rachel." Elizabeth assured her. "You have a genuine right to be concerned…"

Rachel bit her lip. "I just… don't know how to handle the real world anymore. I've been living in this house and the hospital for months…"

"You're going to be fine." Elizabeth said gently as she tucked her arm around her shoulders, using her other arm to support Amanda. "I know it's scary to go back to real life after hard things happen to you, but I also know how strong you are and I believe that you can do this."

Rachel sat in silence for several moments before suddenly a small voice came from the doorway. "I'm hungry." Ella's voice said quietly.

"Oh I'm sorry Ella." Rachel apologized as she quickly wiped her cheeks. "I forgot you were waiting for me."

"Come on up sweetie." Elizabeth greeted her daughter. "I've got some crackers in my nightstand Rachel will you grab them?" She asked as Ella climbed up on the bed.

Elizabeth handed her daughter a handful of crackers that she happily began to eat. "Rachel I promise… I can take care of all of you if you need it. You don't always have to be the strong one."

"I just want Ella and Amanda to get their fair share of you… I'm not supposed to be here…" Rachel said quietly. "They're not going to get to have normal childhoods…"

"You're exactly where you're supposed to be Rachel. And you deserve just as much of my time as Amanda and Ella. We might have a different home, one where four month old crackers get to count as breakfast, but we're always going to get through everything as a family." Elizabeth assured her as Ella climbed up onto my lap.

"Mummy are we going to have a movie day?" Ella asked hopefully.

"I think that's an excellent idea." Elizabeth said with a smile as she thought to herself. _I just hope I can keep from getting sick throughout the day._ She faked a smile as she grabbed the remote from beside her and she turned on the first movie of the day.

_**Author's Note: I'm so sorry it's been so long between updates. I haven't been feeling great and I've just been generally busy. This chapter just ultimately isn't what I wanted it to be but I feel bad about not updating. I hope you're enjoying it anyway. Please review.**_


	29. Asking For Help

It was late at night that evening, and all three of the Greene daughters were asleep with Elizabeth in her bed. Elizabeth was lying awake staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the increasing pain in her pelvis. Suddenly a sharp pang caused Elizabeth to let out a moan which woke up Rachel.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked as she looked over to see Elizabeth grimacing.

"I'm fine." Elizabeth lied. "Honestly… I'm…" She tried again before the pain increased immensely.

Rachel shook her head as she took Amanda from Elizabeth's arms. "You're burning up, I'm going to go get the thermometer." She said softly as she set Amanda down gently in the cradle next to Elizabeth's bed. She gently took Ella out of Elizabeth's bed as well and took her to her room, before running to the bathroom and grabbing the thermometer.

"I'm fine Rachel… I just…" She tried before she moaned once again and grabbed onto her stomach, clearly in pain.

"Here." Rachel handed the thermometer to Elizabeth. "I'm going to call Carol." She said quickly as she picked up the phone and took it into the hallway. The phone rang several times before a tired voice yawned on the other side of the line.

"Hello?" Carol asked tiredly.

"Carol it's Rachel." Rachel said, the panic evident in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Carol replied, immediately sounding more awake.

"I think Elizabeth has a fever and she's having some sort of severe pain in her abdomen… I don't know what's going on but I think something could be very wrong with her." She explained quickly.

"Did you take her temperature?" Carol asked, the sound of shuffling sheets in the background of her voice.

Rachel quickly went back to Elizabeth's room. "Uh… It's at 102.2." She replied in a panic. "I don't know what to do." She said sounding very scared.

"I'm on my way there." Carol said quickly.

"What should I do?" Rachel asked nervously.

"Just do your best to keep her as comfortable as possible." Carol instructed gently. "Don't worry, she should be fine. I'm going to hang up so I can drive over, alright?"

"Yes." Rachel said quietly.

* * *

Rachel finally heard the knock she was waiting for at the front door. "She's getting worse." Rachel said, looking terrified as soon as she opened the door.

"What's changed?" Carol asked as she kicked her shoes off and peeled off her coat.

"She started vomiting, and she hasn't stopped." Rachel said, feeling genuinely concerned for Elizabeth's health.

Carol nodded. "That's what I thought." She said with a sigh as they ran up the stairs and into Elizabeth's room. "Elizabeth what hurts?" Carol asked her gently as she carefully felt her forehead, and the obviously growing fever.

"Everything." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"Alright I'm going to drive you to County." Carol said gently as she grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie from the closet so that Elizabeth would stay warm. "Rachel can you call the ER and let them know we're coming in, and I think that Elizabeth has a puerperal infection?"

Rachel nodded before quickly running down the stairs to the phone. She quickly dialed the number of the ER, and Frank answered the phone. "County General ER." His voice said tiredly.

"Frank, it's Rachel Greene." Rachel said quickly. "Elizabeth isn't feeling well and Carol Hathaway thinks she has a puerperal infection. Carol's brining her in and wanted me to let you know so you'd be ready." She said, with all the courage she could come up with.

"Alright I'll give the message to Doctor Weaver, she's just coming on shift." Frank said importantly.

"Thanks." Rachel said before she ran back up the stairs.

"Rachel will you get your sisters ready to go, my guess is Elizabeth will be in the hospital for a couple of days." Carol said quietly as soon as Rachel reached the upstairs hallway. "Usually these infections aren't very serious, but Elizabeth's temperature is very high…" She muttered to herself.

Rachel nodded before moving to Ella's room quickly.

"Mummy." Ella whimpered softly in her crib.

"Hey sweetie." Rachel greeted her little sister. "Mom's not feeling very good right now, so we're going to go visit the hospital." She said softly.

Ella looked up at her with tears running down her cheeks. "Is mummy gonna go away like daddy?" Ella asked through her tears.

Rachel was taken aback and she gently pulled her sister into her arms. "Of course not honey. Mom's going to be fine." She assured her as she gently patted her back while attempting to gather some clothing for her.

"Why are we going to the hospital?" Ella asked sadly.

"Because… Mom's just not feeling well, like when you feel sick. Mom's not leaving you any time soon." Rachel assured her. "We've got to move quickly." She told Ella as she gently put her down and handed her her Dora the Explorer backpack and grabbed her hand so she would follow.

They quickly moved down the hallway to Elizabeth's room where Carol was helping Elizabeth change, very gently as not to increase her pain. "Mummy!" Ella said, clearly panicked, as she tried to get past Carol.

"Mum's fine." Elizabeth said through gritted teeth, trying to keep the tears in her eyes.

"You're crying!" Ella cried, her voice full of accusation.

Rachel panicked as she finished packing the diaper bag for Amanda. "Alright Ella let's go get in Carol's car." She said as she gently placed Amanda into her carrier.

"No I want to go with mummy!" Ella insisted, finally reaching her mother and grabbing onto Elizabeth's legs.

"Go with Rachel Ella." Elizabeth instructed softly. "I'm sorry… I should have dealt with this earlier… But I can't hold you right now."

"Come on sweetie." Rachel said gently as she picked up both of her sisters bags as well as Amanda's carrier. Ella looked at her older sister reluctantly before nodding and grabbing onto Rachel's free hand and going down the stairs.

* * *

"Alright Elizabeth I'm going to run this IV and then you'll just need some rest." Kerry said gently as she finished her examination.

Elizabeth sighed. "I've been having pains since… well since a few days after Amanda was born… I just… I should have done something sooner." She said tiredly.

"Don't worry about that." Kerry reminded her gently. "You need to heal. There are three very lucky girls depending on you getting better as soon as possible." She said with a smile.

"I'm not sure how they could think they're lucky…" Elizabeth said quietly.

"Hey…" Kerry said gently as she sat down next to her. "To Ella and Amanda you're their entire lives. You should hear the way Ella talks about you, and Amanda is always happiest when she's with you. And think of where Rachel would be if you hadn't come into her life. You've made all three of their lives the best they could possibly have."

Elizabeth sighed. "It certainly doesn't seem that way." She admitted quietly. "If Mark were still here…"

Kerry shook her head. "There's really no sense in…" She tried to stop her.

"I wouldn't have hesitated to see a doctor as soon as I noticed something was off. Rachel never would have gone home, and she would be safely in bed right now. Ella wouldn't be worried that I'm dying, and Amanda might actually be spending some quality time with a parent right now." Elizabeth cut her off.

"What about how much Rachel's learned from you over the last several months?" Kerry suggested. "She's changed so much as a person. And Ella knows how valuable life is, and she'll never take that for granted. And Amanda is a wonderful blessing that you still have the chance to get to know." Kerry said gently.

Elizabeth sighed sadly. "There's just so much I haven't been able to give them that I wish I had." She admitted.

"I know… I know…" Kerry comforted her. "Is there anyone I should get for you?"

Elizabeth thought about it for a few minutes before looking up. "Robert." She said quietly. "Could you ask him to come down when he has time?" She requested, not meeting Kerry's eyes.

Kerry's eyebrow twitched a bit in confusion. "If you're sure…"

Elizabeth nodded without looking at her.

"Alright… I'll get him the message." Kerry said quietly before heading out of the room, leaving Elizabeth alone once again.

* * *

Nearly an hour later there was a rough knock on the door and a quiet voice requesting entry. "Lizzie?"

"Come in." Elizabeth said quietly.

Robert opened the door and closed it behind himself quietly. He gently pulled up a chair and sat down next to Elizabeth's bed. "Are you alright?" He asked her quietly after sitting through several moments of comfortable silence.

Elizabeth bit her lip trying to hold back tears that had been threatening to fall for quite some time.

"I'll take that as a no." He said quietly as he reached to hold her hand gently. "What do you need?"

Elizabeth sat in silence for several minutes before looking over at him. "I need Mark to be here…" She admitted quietly. "But I know he can't be… And so I just need someone to help me. I don't even know what it is that I need help with… I just know that I can't do what I've been doing forever."

"Hey… it's okay to not know what it is that you need right now." Robert assured her. "I'm sorry that you have to live with everything that's happened to you. No one should have to do what you've been doing, and no one could have done it with more dignity and passion than you have." He told her honestly. "If it's alright with you I'm going to jump the gun a bit here and offer to take your daughters home. You don't need any added stress right now, and I'm sure that Ella wouldn't mind spending the night over at my house again, she did enjoy herself last time."

"Robert." Elizabeth said quietly, this time the tears actually falling. "Thank you so much."

"Any time Lizzie… Just… Don't let it get around the hospital that I'm actually helping someone out of the good of my slightly decent heart." He said sarcastically with a smirk.

"Why do you insist on hiding the fact that you're a decent human being?" Elizabeth asked curiously as Robert stood up and put the chair back where he got it from.

"Why do you trust me Elizabeth?" Robert asked rhetorically, expecting her to understand the point of the question.

Elizabeth thought about it for a second. "Because when I'm in serious need of something you help me figure it out, whether you do that by being a complete jerk or otherwise. It's almost like you're a jerk because you care…"

Robert smirked once again. "Good night Elizabeth, I'll bring the girls back in the morning." He said with a smile before closing the door once again behind him.

_**Author's Note: I'm really sorry about the lack of updates lately, and while I have fairly valid excuses they're slightly personal so I'm just gonna ask you all to forgive me for the lack of updates and keep reading! I hope you're enjoying! Please review!**_


	30. Daughters

"I'm looking for Elizabeth Corday." A calm British voice said as it approached the ER admit desk.

"Charles you've got to be more aggressive." A much sharper British voice interrupted him. "I'm Isabelle Corday, where's my daughter?" She asked Frank directly.

"Doctor Corday isn't on shift today as far as I'm aware…" Frank replied, somewhat intimidated by her directness.

"Well I'm sure she's not she just had a child, but she's not at home. Is she here?" Isabelle insisted.

Just as Isabelle was preparing to round the corner to look for her daughter's location in the computer Kerry came into the ER. "Isabelle Corday." She greeted her with a smile. "Elizabeth told me that she thought you'd show up."

"Finally." Isabelle said exasperatedly.

"We've only been here for a few moments Isabelle." Charles pointed out with a smirk.

Kerry motioned for them to follow her into an exam room. "Your daughter is upstairs with a rather advanced and serious infection that is a complication from her labor." She said after they were behind closed doors.

"How's her daughter doing?" Isabelle asked immediately.

Kerry looked at her, mildly concerned. "Amanda isn't suffering any effect from the infection… it's not possible for it to affect her… But I think that you need to be concerned about your daughter."

"Elizabeth's strong, and she can handle this." Isabelle dismissed her. "Where is my granddaughter?"

"Isabelle…" Charles said gently.

"Amanda is staying at a friend's home with her sisters." Kerry cut him off. "Your daughter needs you right now." She tried to redirect the focus.

"Where?" Isabelle asked again.

"Could you take me to Elizabeth?" Charles asked moments later.

"Charles we should go get our granddaughters." Isabelle tried to insist.

"If that's where you feel your energy is best spent, then you can try to find the girls, but I'm going to go see our daughter." Charles replied angrily.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"I'll take you upstairs." Kerry said awkwardly after several moments of silence before she led Charles out of the room leaving Isabelle alone.

* * *

"Elizabeth?" Charles asked quietly as he knocked gently on the doorframe to his daughter's hospital room.

"Daddy?" Elizabeth asked, wiping her eyes, clearing the tears from her eyes.

Charles gently moved across the room and sat down on the bed next to his daughter, softly taking her shaking hand in his. "How are you?"

"In pain." Elizabeth replied honestly. "I didn't know… I guess I knew… I just don't know how to cope with _this_ anymore."

"I'm sorry." Charles replied honestly.

"Where's mum?"

"Working herself up over something I'm sure she doesn't need to be." Charles replied softly.

After several moments Elizabeth looked over at her father, tears lining the edges of her eyes. "I just… I just don't know what to do." She admitted.

"You'll figure it out." He assured her softly.

Elizabeth sighed. "That's just it… I'm not sure that I will this time." She said quietly, this time the tears lightly falling over her cheeks.

"It's going to be okay." He told her honestly as he rubbed his thumb lightly along the back of her hand. "What can I do for you?"

Elizabeth sat quietly. "I want my mum." She admitted quietly.

Charles sighed. "I can see what I can do." He told her as he stood up. "I'll be back as soon as I talk to your mother." He said quietly before heading out the door.

* * *

"Isabelle!" Charles called through the parking lot as he saw her walking toward the rental car desk. "Isabelle!"

"Charles not now!" Isabelle replied without turning around.

"Isabelle your daughter needs you." Charles said with force Isabelle wasn't expecting.

"She'll be fine." Isabelle replied, this time a little less sure of herself.

"I'm not sure of that this time Isabelle." Charles said, this time adjusting his pace to catch up to her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, trying not to show any concern.

"Elizabeth is sick, and she's scared, and she lost her husband." Charles replied. "She may be strong and independent, but she needs help right now."

"What about…" She started to respond.

"Elizabeth wouldn't let just anybody watch her girls. I'm sure they're safe and entirely fine with whomever she's having them stay with." Charles interrupted her. "Your daughter asked for you. No matter how stupid I believe her judgment is, I believe you owe her enough to go to her when she needs you."

"She asked for me?" Isabelle asked quietly. Charles nodded in response and was confused when she suddenly turned around and was running back toward the hospital.

* * *

"Elizabeth!" Isabelle said, fairly out of breath as she opened the door. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth looked over at her mother and burst into tears. "Sorry… I'm sorry."

"Your father said you asked for me." She told her softly as she pulled a chair up next to her bed. "Are you alright?" She asked again after a moment of silence.

"No." Elizabeth replied, suddenly unable to contain herself. "I'm not alright. I'm in a ridiculous amount of pain both emotionally and physically and I have to be okay for everyone else! I just… I need someone to take charge and make some decisions about something."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself Elizabeth." Her mother tried to comfort her.

"No. I'm not hard enough. I can't believe this is where I've ended up. Four years ago, I was barely even sure I wanted to commit to being in a relationship with Mark. Now I'm taking care of three of our daughters without him and I don't know if this is where I wanted my life to go! What if I hadn't married Mark? What if I we're in surgery right now? Would I be happier?" Elizabeth asked angrily.

"Elizabeth…" Her mother said softly. "You know that you loved Mark more than anything. He made you the happiest I ever saw you. Nothing else can mean as much as that does." She reminded her.

"I just… I need something to happen that's going to show that something is going to get better." Elizabeth admitted. "I need to know that something is going to change."

"Things are always changing darling. Whether or not they're changing for the better is a much different matter." Isabelle replied.

Elizabeth sighed. "Can we talk about something else?" She asked after several minutes.

"Of course." Her mother replied. "How are my granddaughter's doing?"

"Well." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Rachel's been trying to teach Ella how to read a bit and Rachel just put in her papers for Crestmont. Ella is starting a dance class next week that Rachel's going to take with her. Amanda doesn't do much other than eat and sleep, but she's a fairly big fan of playing peek-a-boo with Rachel…" She began to update her mother.

"I was wondering about your actual daughters." Her mother cut her off. "Ella and Amanda."

"I was just telling you about them." Elizabeth said feeling defensive.

"No you were telling me about Rachel." Isabelle replied, looking intently at her fingers.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You have to get over your hatred of her. She's a part of my life, she's one of my daughters."

"She tried to kill Ella!" Isabelle protested.

"NO!" Elizabeth yelled back suddenly. "She made poor choices, and that led to Ella getting hurt, but she didn't try to. She would never intentionally hurt either Ella or Amanda. You don't know anything about her. You like to act like you do. But you don't. She's my daughter, and you have to give her the respect she deserves."

"Why would she deserve my respect?"

"Because she has done more for me than you ever have. She's been a constant support system even when she needed the support more than I have." Elizabeth defended her immediately. "She had to grow up in a matter of minutes when her father got diagnosed with a brain tumor. And handles her life more maturely than you probably ever will."

"Elizabeth!" Her mother replied, feeling offended.

"GO!" Elizabeth shouted back. "Just… go…"

_**Author's Note: I hope you liked it! New chapter hopefully tomorrow! Please Review!**_


	31. March Fifteenth

"Rachel?" Robert asked as he drowsily went down his stairs into his kitchen.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" She asked softly, looking slightly nervous.

Robert shook his head. "No, you're fine." He assured her quickly as he moved over to the coffee maker. "It's just really early." He pointed out as he glanced toward the clock that read just past four in the morning.

"Couldn't sleep." Rachel replied with a small shrug.

Robert nodded as he added a scoop of coffee beans to the coffee maker. "Do you want some?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, thanks though." She said without looking up from her hands she seemed to be intently studying.

"Are you alright?" Robert asked her after a few moments.

Rachel shrugged.

Robert was trying to figure out what to say next when Amanda started crying in the living room. "She's probably hungry." Rachel said quietly as she got up. She quickly pulled out a bottle and the bottle warmer and began preparing a bottle while Robert went into the next room to retrieve the crying baby.

"Good morning." He said softly as he picked Amanda up out of the playpen. "How are you this morning?" He asked with a smirk as all he received in reply was a small whimper. He walked back into the kitchen.

"Awww." Rachel cooed at her younger sister. "Are you hungry Manda?" She asked her softly as she took her from Robert. "Here you go." She guided her gently as she gave her the bottle.

The kitchen was silent for quite some time while Robert drank his coffee and read the newspaper and while Rachel fed Amanda. It was just as Amanda was finishing her bottle when Ella cried out.

"Mummy." Ella's voice whimpered from the living room.

"Will you take her?" Rachel asked as she set Amanda's bottle down. Robert nodded before gently taking Amanda from Rachel's arms.

"Mummy!" Ella cried, much more persistent this time.

"Hey Ella." Rachel greeted her gently as she sat down next to her on the couch.

"I want mummy." She whimpered, now clutching onto Rachel's neck.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Rachel asked her quietly. Ella nodded. "Was there a monster?" She asked soflty, knowing that those were what often plagued her nightmares. Ella shook her head. "What happened?"

"Daddy." Ella said softly as she buried her face into Rachel's hair.

Rachel sighed. "I know… I know…" She comforted her sister quietly. "I miss him too."

"Is Mummy going to Daddy?" Ella asked softly after several minutes.

Rachel pulled her a little further away from her so she could see her face. "Ella, Mom's not going anywhere." She assured her. "She just needs a little bit of time to get better because she's sick."

"That's what Daddy said." She said softly before bursting out into tears once again.

"Rachel is everything alright in here?" Robert asked quietly as he looked in from the kitchen.

Rachel shrugged slightly. "She's not going to calm down anytime soon." She said as she slowly moved her sister off from her. "Usually it takes a good couple of hours with mom before she'll calm down about things like this."

"Things like…?" Robert asked, unaware of what was going on.

"She had a nightmare about our Dad." Rachel said softly. "It happens from time to time. It's hard to be well-adjusted when you're under four."

"Mummy!" Ella screamed out angrily as she began to punch her small fists into Robert's couch.

"Ella…" Robert said quietly as he set Amanda back into the playpen and handed her a rattle. "Do you want to talk to Mom on the phone?"

Ella looked over at him, revealing her tear stained cheeks. She nodded slightly before running over to him and clinging onto his legs.

"Alright I'll see if I can't get through to your Mom at the hospital." He said as he led Ella into the kitchen while Rachel followed. Robert gently lifted Ella up and set her down on the counter. He then grabbed the phone and dialed the ER number.

"County General ER how may I help you?" Jerry's voice came through the phone.

"It's Doctor Romano get me Lizzie on the phone." He demanded in his usual snappish voice for work.

"Doctor Corday isn't on shift…" Jerry replied after a few minutes.

"I'm aware of that, she's a patient. Ask one of the nurses, they're competent enough to find a surgeon in a hospital." Robert replied.

After several minutes of banter they finally connected the call.

"Hello?" Elizabeth's disoriented voice came through the phone.

"Elizabeth it's Robert." He began.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked immediately, automatically concerned about her daughters.

"Ella had a bit of a nightmare." He explained rather awkwardly.

"Was it about Mark?" Elizabeth asked tiredly in response.

"Yeah… I think she just needs to hear your voice." Robert said before biting his lip, hoping not to sound too involved.

"Of course… Hand her the phone." Elizabeth replied quietly. She could hear shuffling around on the other side and then she began hearing several short small breaths in the phone. "Ella?" She asked, assuming her daughter had been given the phone. "Ella sweetie it's mummy." She said again, this time trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Mummy." Ella's voice came through the receiver, sounding incredibly broken.

"Oh sweetie. I'm sorry… It's okay. You can come see me later today." Elizabeth tried to console her daughter. "Do you want to tell me about your dream?" She asked her after a few moments of silence.

"You went to go with Daddy." Ella said softly.

Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. "Oh Ella, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just a little sick. I am going to be fine. I promise you I'm okay and you can come see me for yourself later today." She tried to comfort her daughter.

"I want you now." Ella said between sobs.

"Sweetheart?" Elizabeth tried again after several moments of silence. "Ella honey?"

"Mummy?" Ella replied as she hiccupped.

"I love you and I'll see you later alright sweetheart?" Elizabeth said, feeling her exhaustion taking over.

"Okay." Ella said quietly as she nodded her head and handed the phone to Robert.

"Are you alright Lizzie?" Robert asked once he had the receiver.

"I'm going to be fine Robert. Thank you for watching the girls." Elizabeth said sincerely.

"Well I better get my best surgeon back after all of this is over or else this isn't worth it." He replied snarkily.

"Just try not to corrupt my children too much." Elizabeth replied before hanging up the phone.

Robert set down the phone into the receiver. "Are we good Miss Ella?" Robert asked as he leaned down so he was at her level.

Ella nodded and smiled. "Can we have pancakes?"

"I'm a pretty awful chef… How about waffles?" He suggested with a smirk and a bop to her nose.

"Waffles!" Ella said excitedly as Rachel came into the kitchen holding Amanda.

"Are we having waffles?" Rachel asked her with a smile.

"Yes! And mum's okay and we're gonna go see her today." Ella said happily.

Rachel smiled as she gently rocked Amanda in her arms. "If Dad could see us now." She muttered under her breath as she looked at her little sisters.

"Are you alright Rachel?" Robert asked as he emerged from his pantry.

"I'm fine…" Rachel dismissed him as she awkwardly brushed a few tears from her eyes.

Robert looked at her with concern. "Rachel?"

"I'm fine." Rachel said again, this time biting down on her lip and trying to ignore the tears that were now freely falling down her face.

"You don't look fine…" Robert said awkwardly.

Rachel looked up at the ceiling, willing her tears to stop. "I just… wish Dad were here." She admitted, refusing to make eye contact.

"At least you've got Elizabeth." He said with a smile as he began to mix the waffle batter.

Rachel shook her head. "You don't get it… No one gets it. Everyone thinks I should be super grateful to have Elizabeth and that it should somehow equal out the fact that I lost my Dad. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy to have Elizabeth, but I lost my Dad. Nothing is going to make that seem less painful." She ranted, so quickly Robert could barely follow what she was saying. "I had to grow up so fast and I feel like it's never going to stop. First I had to deal with losing my Dad, then the support of my Mom. And now Elizabeth is counting on me to help with Ella and Amanda. I love them so much don't get me wrong, but I can't be their mom. I'm barely sixteen!"

"I thought you were fifteen…" Robert replied after sitting stunned for a few moments.

"It's March 15th. I'm sixteen." She said quietly before heading back into the living room.

After Robert sat in silence for a few moments he looked over to Ella. "Hey Ella when's Rachel's birthday?"

"Friday!" She replied excitedly.

Robert looked at the calendar. "It's Rachel's…" He muttered in realization. "This kid doesn't get a break does she?"

"Is it Friday yet?" Ella asked as Robert made waffles.

"Yes it's Friday." Robert replied as he put a plate of cut up waffles in front of Ella.

"RA-" She began to exclaim excitedly. Robert quickly pressed his hand over her mouth to stop her.

"We're going to do something super special for her but it has to be a surprise alright?" Robert explained quickly. Ella nodded in understanding. "Alright then." He said before reaching for the phone to call Elizabeth once more, this time dialing her room extension. "Hello Elizabeth?... I think there's an issue we should address…"

_**Author's Note: I thought I had uploaded this a week ago but I just noticed it's not up! I'm sorry! I'm almost done with the next chapter as well so you'll probably get it by the end of this weekend. Please review!**_


	32. Not What She Wanted

"Mummy!" Ella said excitedly as they arrived at her mother's hospital room.

"Hello sweetheart." Elizabeth greeted her daughter. "I missed you." She said with a smile as she hugged her daughter tightly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Where's Rachel?" She looked over at Robert who was holding Amanda in her carrier.

"She decided to take the El back to your house." Robert said softly.

Elizabeth sighed. "I can't believe I didn't…"

"It's not your fault." Robert cut her off.

"It's definitely my fault." Elizabeth reminded her. "That's why I'm giving her what I am for her birthday."

"What would that be?" Robert asked curiously.

"I called her grandparents… They're on their way from Upper City." Elizabeth admitted. "I think it's time she goes to live with them for a while." She said with a small forced smile. "It would be best for her. She'll still get to go to Crestmont and she'll be close enough to visit her sisters."

"Do you really think that's what she wants?" Robert asked as he set down Amanda's carrier and took her gently out of it.

"She doesn't deserve to be taking care of my kids. She's got so much more ahead of her. And I've found people who will help her get the most out of the rest of her life." Elizabeth said with forced smile. "This is what's going to be the best for her. It's the best thing I can give to her."

"Maybe you should ask her?" Robert suggested as he handed Amanda to Elizabeth.

"I want Rachel!" Ella protested.

"She'll come visit sweetie." She assured her daughter. "She just won't live with us." She tried to explain to her.

"I don't want her to visit." Ella replied quietly. "I want her to stay." She said as she cuddled into her Mother's side.

"I know…" Elizabeth said softly. "I do too… But I can't take anything else away from her." She sighed as she pulled her daughters close.

* * *

Several hours later Rachel arrived at the hospital. She was making her way up to Elizabeth's room. She knocked softly on the door before opening it slightly before she was bombarded with noise. "Grandma?" She asked, extremely disoriented as her grandmother pulled her into a hug. "Grandpa?" She asked as she was handed over to her grandfather.

"Happy Birthday Ray." Her grandmother said with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked as she caught her breath after being released from her grandfather's arms.

"Your step mother called us." Her grandma explained. "She's asked us to let you stay with us."

Rachel looked over at Elizabeth, her eyes a mixture of terror and pain. "How could you?" She asked as the tears welled in her eyes.

"Rachel." Elizabeth said softly.

Rachel shook her head before pushing the door open and running down the hall and into the stairwell. She quickly ran down several flights of stairs before sitting down on them and burying her head into her knees.

Nearly twenty minutes later Susan opened the door to the stairwell. "Rachel?" She asked, startled by her presence. "Are you alright?" She asked her as she sat down next to her. After several moments of silence she gently rubbed a hand along Rachel's back. "I'm guessing that's a no." She said with a small smile as Rachel finally looked up at her, her tear stained cheeks and wet eyes looking directly at her. "Oh Rachel…" She sympathized softly. "What happened?"

"Elizabeth called my grandparents." Rachel said quietly.

"And?" Susan replied, not understanding the problem.

"She wants me to go live with them." She said softly. "I should have seen it coming… But I didn't. She's pawning me off onto a different family member, just like what my parents did for years."

"Why did Elizabeth say she wanted you to go live with them?" Susan asked her gently.

Rachel shrugged.

"Maybe you should ask her." Susan suggested softly. "You know Elizabeth wouldn't hurt you intentionally." She reminded her.

Rachel shrugged again. "I can't." She admitted softly.

"Elizabeth can't come to you right now either." Susan reminded her. "You should go talk to her." She advised.

Rachel shook her head. "I can't. I'll say something I regret… And I'll just hurt her. I can't do that to her." She said quietly.

"Don't do something you'll regret later because you're upset right now." Susan said softly.

Rachel sighed as she stood up. "I just… I don't understand why she doesn't want me anymore."

"Go talk to her." Susan said gently as she too stood up.

Rachel nodded before making her way up the stairs.

* * *

Rachel timidly opened the door to Elizabeth's room and was once again confronted by a wall of noise.

"Rachel sweetheart are you alright?" Her grandmother asked as she engulfed her once again with her arms.

Rachel shrugged her way out of her arms. "Elizabeth?" She asked timidly.

Elizabeth looked at Rachel sympathetically. She could see the pain in her eyes and she could tell she needed to talk to her. 'Are you alright?' She mouthed toward her.

Rachel shook her head gently as her grandfather hugged her.

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Can… Can I talk to Rachel alone for a moment?" She asked loudly so the rest of the room would hear.

"Of course." The room agreed. Rachel's grandparents made their way out of the room with Ella and Elizabeth's parents took Amanda with them.

Rachel stood timidly across the room from Elizabeth.

"Rachel…" Elizabeth began quietly.

Before she could continue Rachel suddenly began yelling at her. "Why would you do that!?" She screamed angrily. "Do you really not want me around?! Maybe you should try to talk to me about this before doing it!"

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried again.

"I can't believe you would do this to me…" Rachel whimpered under her breath.

Elizabeth looked over at her, she could see her disposition crumbling her the pressure. "Oh Rachel…" She said as she tried to sit up the best she could. "Come here." She motioned and Rachel reluctantly joined her on her bed. "I'm not trying to get rid of you Rachel." She said after several silent moments.

Rachel looked down at her hands. "Then why are you?"

"Because you deserve more than what I can give you." Elizabeth told her honestly.

Rachel finally met her eyes. "I don't want anything else." She told her earnestly. "I want you and my little sisters. I want to live where my Dad did. I don't want to go anywhere."

"Rachel… I've taken so much away from you…" Elizabeth told her quietly.

"And you've given me everything." Rachel replied. "I don't want to go anywhere."

"Rachel please don't…" Elizabeth begged her quietly.

"My grandparents will just send me back to my mother. They're acting all nice and supportive of you right now because you hold the card to getting me back from my Dad in your hands." Rachel said quickly. "I know them. You don't. They hated Dad. They've wanted me back with my mom since I first moved to Chicago. And they won't support me in what I want to do. Crestmont won't happen."

Elizabeth looked at her sadly. "Rachel…" She bit her lip. "I discussed this with your grandparents."

"And they said they would support me because they love me and want me to be as successful as I possibly can. They also probably said that Rachel is their only granddaughter and they want me to be happy so if you think I would be happier with them then they are more than happy to help out." Rachel replied quietly. "I've been through this before."

"Rachel possibly you're overreacting…" Elizabeth said gently.

"NO!" Rachel replied angrily as she stood up. "I can't believe… You're turning against me. Now. You stayed with me through everything else but you're giving up now."

"Rachel…" Elizabeth tried to explain herself.

"What? Do you have some lame excuse for why you're suddenly abandoning me? Is there some reason why you don't want me anymore? Did _I_ do something wrong?" Rachel asked her angrily.

Elizabeth shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong. I honestly just wanted to help you find something better that I can't give you." She told her sincerely.

"What can't you give me that they can?" Rachel asked her, not meeting her eyes.

"I can't give you the kind of support that two parents can." Elizabeth admitted quietly. "I've tried to be both a mother and a father to you and I can't do it. I've tried but you're not happy. I understand you're not happy…"

"Elizabeth." Rachel cut her off. "I'm happier than I've ever been." She told her honestly. "I might seem unhappy and angry… Which I kind of am… But I have never felt more supported and loved than I do now."

"Come here." Elizabeth said gently before she pulled her into her arms. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." She comforted her gently as she sobbed into her shoulder. "Some birthday." She smirked after a few minutes.

"You remembered?" Rachel looked up at her with a questioning look.

"Not exactly." Elizabeth admitted. "Robert and Ella told me… I'm sorry… I should have remembered."

"It's okay." Rachel dismissed her concerns. "I just… I don't want what you were trying to give me."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." Elizabeth assured her as she hugged her.

They sat together in silence for several moments. "There's quite a few people waiting to give you their birthday wishes." Elizabeth said gently.

"I have to break it to my grandparents that I'm not moving…" Rachel said quietly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I got you into this mess. I'll help you out of it." She assured her.

"Thank you." Rachel said quietly as she was once again pulled into a hug. "This actually wasn't the worst birthday of all time."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well… At least we've got something to improve on next year."

_**Author's Note: Not a lot to say since yesterday! I hope you're enjoying it! We gained a lot of new readers yesterday so welcome! Please Review!**_


	33. Three Months Later (Part 1)

****Three Months Later****

"Happy birthday Ella!" Elizabeth said happily as she opened her daughter's bedroom door that morning.

"I'm three!" Ella exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes you are." Elizabeth assured her with another sincere smile. She gently bent over and helped lower the safety bar on the side of Ella's new bed. "Are you ready to go downstairs and have breakfast with everyone before Rachel goes to school?"

Ella jumped off from her bed excitedly. "Are we having pancakes and apple juice?"

Elizabeth nodded as she took her daughter's hand and they made their way down the stairs as quickly as Ella could manage to walk down them.

"Happy birthday!" A group of voices greeted her as they arrived in the kitchen. Ella let go of Elizabeth's hand and ran over to give Rachel a hug.

"I'm three!" Ella informed her older sister importantly.

"You are?" Rachel replied in mock suspicion. "I thought you were turning one!"

"No!" Ella replied with a giggle. "I'm three!"

Elizabeth smiled as the two interacted as she took Amanda from her mother. "She's come such a long way." She whispered into her youngest daughter's ear. Over the past couple of months Rachel had changed so much for the better. Crestmont gave her somewhere to put all of her energy and she was really learning. Just last week she had confronted Elizabeth about what she would need to do in order to become a surgeon after she had seen an emergency surgery performed at the school's medical training center.

"Elizabeth," Her father interrupted her train of thought. "Rachel and I should really leave in about fifteen minutes if she's going to get to her classes on time."

"Of course." Elizabeth nodded as she moved to sit at the table. She sat down with her mother on her right and Ella on the left of her. Rachel was sitting next to Ella with Elizabeth's father next to her. Also seated at the table were Carol and Doug as well as their daughters Tess and Kate.

Everyone began to eat and talk around the table. Elizabeth's father was engaged in a sincere conversation with Rachel about her future intentions in the medical field. Carol and Doug were trying to convince their daughters to eat their food rather than throw it at each other. Ella was intently telling her grandmother about how she was going to start preschool soon. Elizabeth smiled as she watched her daughter's animated excitement. She had grown so much, just like Rachel. Ella had gained such a voice over the last couple of months and she communicates with her family just as frequently and with almost as much wit as the other members.

Elizabeth sighed. So much of her father was showing in her daughter and it wasn't helping her handle that they were approaching the year anniversary of Mark's death.

"Elizabeth are you feeling alright?" Carol asked as she looked over to her friend in concern. Elizabeth had been sporting a rather blank stare for the past several minutes, and she had barely touched her breakfast.

Elizabeth snapped back to reality. "Yes." She replied almost instantly.

Carol didn't quite believe her response. "Are you sure?" She pressed her gently.

"Not now Carol." Elizabeth replied through gritted teeth.

"Mummy can I go to school with Rachel today?" Ella asked her hopefully.

"No I'm sorry sweetheart." Elizabeth said gently. "Mum's going to go into work for a half-shift this morning while you spend time with Tess and Kate and then when I get off our shift I'll meet you at Doc Magoo's for lunch."

"I want to go to school with Rachel." Ella pouted softly.

"Ella how would you like to go to the bean park?" Carol suggested.

Ella looked momentarily distracted before she pouted back to her mother. "I want to go with Rachel." She insisted again.

"Hey Ella…" Rachel interrupted her younger sister. "Today school is going to be really boring. I have to take my practical exams for the end of the school year. No one is going to be able to talk about anything other than school."

"No talking at all?" Ella asked, her eyes growing wide.

"Just about our work. So you would have to be silent." Rachel said with a smirk.

"Mummy I want to stay with Carol!" Ella insisted suddenly. "Can we please go to the bean park?" She asked desperately.

"Of course you can." Elizabeth said with a small laugh.

"Alright Rachel we really better go." Charles said after a couple moments of scattered conversation.

Rachel nodded. "Alright Miss Ella." She said as she picked up her little sister for a hug before she left. "You have a wonderful day and have lots of adventures to tell me about when I get home." She said as she kissed her on the cheek.

"I will." Ella promised her sister importantly as she set her down.

"I need to go now too sweetheart." Elizabeth said gently as she knelt down to her daughter's level. "Be good for Carol and help Grandma take care of Amanda." She said as her daughter wrapped her arms around her tightly. "You're a magical little girl Ella Jessica Greene." She told her daughter softly. "And you give the most magical hugs." She said with a smile.

Ella pulled away and smiled widely. Elizabeth kissed her daughter gently on the nose. "Have a good day sweetheart." She said as she stood back up. Ella happily skipped over to Tess and Kate who were playing in the living room. Elizabeth sighed as she looked over at her mother as well as Carol and Doug. Instantly tears sprung to her eyes.

"Oh Elizabeth." Carol said gently as she quickly stood up and moved over to her. "What's wrong?" She asked her gently as she gave her a hug.

"Three years ago… Mark and I sat in this kitchen timing my contractions deciding we were going to wait as long as possible before we went to the hospital…" Elizabeth said quietly. "I can't believe it was three years ago."

"I'm so sorry." Carol said gently as she continued to hold her long-time friend. "Do you want to stay home and go to 'The Bean' with us?"

Elizabeth looked up at the ceiling willing it to make the decision for her. "I just don't know what to do."

"You could use a break." Carol replied. "Call in sick." She urged her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Robert's going to know that I'm not actually sick. I have surgeries scheduled today and I'm only going in for four hours…"

"Elizabeth take a break." Carol urged her. "You've been working nonstop both at the hospital and at home. You deserve to take a break and to spend some time with your daughter."

"I don't deserve to take time off." Elizabeth insisted. "I should be working double shifts but I barely have time to work single shifts most days. Cutting it down to a half shift today is going to mean that I'm going to have to dip into savings to pay the mortgage this month."

Carol looked at her in surprise. "Elizabeth…?" She questioned softly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have…"

"Elizabeth I'm going to send Doug to the park with the girls… Maybe your mom can go with them… But we need to talk." Carol said gently.

"Carol…"

"I'm not arguing with you on this." Carol insisted. "I'll call you in sick, and we'll talk about what's going on."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm going to go get Amanda from my mother." She said quietly before she went into the living room.

"Elizabeth shouldn't you be at work?" Her mother asked her as she came in and took Amanda from her arms.

"I'm staying home today." She said simply.

"Well…" Her mother said expectantly.

"I was wondering if you'd be willing to go to the park with Doug and the girls." She asked her gently. "I know you were looking forward to a quiet morning with Amanda, but I think it would mean a lot to Ella if she got to spend some time with you today."

"Of course I'll go." Her mother said, easing some of the stress Elizabeth was feeling. "Are you alright?" She asked her a loaded question.

"I don't know." Elizabeth admitted quietly.

"Alright girls who's ready to go to the park?" Doug asked as he had just finished his conversation with Carol.

Within the next hour Doug, Isabelle, and three very excited little girls had left the house.

"Alright Elizabeth." Carol said once they were sitting down in the living room, Carol was lounging on the couch, Elizabeth was sitting cross-legged in the armchair with Amanda sitting happily in the small nest her legs created with her blankets. "What's going on?"

"I'm a single working mother… Things can get stressful…" Elizabeth tried to avoid the question she was really asking.

"You were talking about the mortgage payments Elizabeth… I thought Mark had that money set aside for that?" Carol asked her gently.

"Medical bills… Even when you work for the hospital and get the best insurance you could possibly have…. They start to add up." Elizabeth said quietly.

"Are you really concerned Elizabeth?" Carol asked her softly.

"The entire time I've been out of work… I haven't been making the same amount of money I make when I work. I've completely exhausted the money Mark left for the house making payments for Rachel's school and the house and the power and all of the things that I usually pay for with my paycheck… They had to come out of the house account for the past few months. And there have been so many medical bills to keep up on between Rachel and I and making sure Amanda's healthy with all of her checkups." Elizabeth said, very quickly, trying not to let anything mean much of anything.

"Elizabeth…" Carol said quietly.

"I don't need sympathy… I just… I just need everything to go back to the way it was a year ago." Elizabeth said softly.

"Elizabeth you need help sometimes. And that's okay." Carol reminded her. "If you need to, ask Robert for a raise. You're working hard for your money and you don't deserve to be stressing out about how you're going to pay for the roof over your kid's heads."

"I can't." Elizabeth said quietly. "I honestly don't know where the money for everything I'm going to need to pay for over the rest if these girls' lives is going to come from." She admitted. "Mark left enough money set aside for the house and car payments and for Ella and Rachel to go to college. But there's nothing for Amanda… And feeding three kids takes a lot more money than one… Money is just running out."

"Don't you have savings set aside in case one of you lost your jobs?" Carol asked her gently.

"Carol you know how much it costs to have a newborn. Mark and I weren't prepared for this. We didn't plan for this. It's almost three hundred dollars a month just trying to get diapers and food for Amanda taken care of, not to mention the thousands of dollars I had to spend getting new baby furniture because we got rid of Ella's. Amanda is just an expense we didn't know was coming…" Her voice began to break as she reached the end.

"Hey… it's okay… It's going to be fine." Carol tried to comfort her.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't afford Rachel's Crestmont tuition this month." She said quietly. "She's going to be unenrolled if I don't pay it..."

"We have savings you can pay us back once you've got this figured out…" Carol began to offer.

Elizabeth looked at her, her eyes full of something that she didn't quite understand. "I'm not taking your money. I'm just a couple hundred dollars short on it. I'll work a few extra weekends at the hospital."

"Elizabeth where are you going to find time to work weekends?" Carol asked her gently.

"It's just going to mean less time at home and more time at the hospital." Elizabeth dismissed her.

Carol shook her head. "Elizabeth you're buckling under the pressure."

Elizabeth sighed. "It doesn't matter. I have bills to pay that I can't afford and I'm just going to have to work to give these girls the things they deserve."

"Elizabeth…" Carol tried again.

"No… I'm done talking about this." Elizabeth said, sounding somewhat angry. "My father just pulled into the driveway and he doesn't need to know about this." She said as she stood up from the couch. "So just… drop it." She said before going into the kitchen.

Carol sat in stunned silence. It was going to take a lot more than a few extra shifts to fix the problems Elizabeth was facing.

_**Author's Note: So we're approaching the end of this series there will probably be one to two more chapters plus an Epilogue. I may consider writing a sequel taking place after the Epilogue but there are some other stories I want to write first so there will probably be a break before I write it. I hope you're all enjoying this story! Please review!**_


	34. Three Months Later (Part 2)

"Mummy!" Ella said excitedly as she saw her mother approaching them in the park. "Look you can see us in the bean!" She told her as she dragged her by the hand over to the large statue.

Elizabeth tried her best to create a smile for her overexcited daughter but she was failing miserably. "Are you ready to go to lunch Ella?" She asked her daughter as she excitedly pointed at her reflection in the bean.

"Can Kate and Tess come?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course they can." Elizabeth assured her. "Do you want to go to Doc Magoo's or for pizza?"

"Pizza!" Ella said excitedly. "Let's go, let's go!" She insisted as she tried to run towards her mom's car.

"Honey we've got to let everyone else know where we're going." She reminded her as she pulled her back over to the group of people they knew. "Ella has decided she'd rather go for Pizza." She informed the group.

"Awesome." Carol said with a smile to the young girl. She suddenly looked up at the adults in the group. "Uh… Abby called me she said they're short on nurses I'm going to go fill in." She said a bit too quickly.

"Carol when did your phone ring?" Doug asked, feeling suspicious.

She bit her lip momentarily before speaking. "Oh… I didn't mean call, she paged me. I really should go though… Several traumas are coming in."

"Do they need a surgeon on call?" Elizabeth asked.

Carol shook her head quickly. "They're fine."

"Who's doing the consults?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Robert and Donald… They'll be fine." Carol insisted.

"Alright… Come join us if you get done early enough." Elizabeth said reluctantly as the groups split up into the cars and went their ways.

* * *

"Hey Kerry can I talk to you for a minute?" Carol asked her once she finally found who she was looking for at the hospital.

"Sure what do you need?" She asked as they continued to walk through the hallways.

"Well…" She said awkwardly. "It's kind of a personal matter…" She admitted.

Kerry stopped at tried to study her eyes. "Are you in financial trouble? Because if you want to work more shifts here then talk to Doctor Romano…"

"Uh… It's not exactly Doug and I who are having financial issues…" Carol said softly.

"Alright wait in the lounge I'll be there as soon as I can." Kerry instructed her before going into an exam room to check on a patient.

Nearly an hour later Kerry arrived in the lounge. "Alright… What was it you wanted to talk about?" She asked as she entered the room.

"I was wondering what it would take for the hospital to be able to pay an employee's outstanding medical bills?" Carol asked very carefully.

"Well it would depend on the income of the employee's family in comparison to the expenses. Also whether or not the medical care was elective." Kerry replied, still unsure of what was going on.

"So if the family we're making a small enough income, and all of the care was necessary would they need to apply for the release from expenses or is it possible for someone else to do it for them?" Carol asked her hopefully.

"I suppose as long as the other person knows all of the information for the forms then they could do it…" Kerry replied.

"And where would I get this paperwork?" Carol questioned.

"Randi should have some at the desk…" Kerry replied. "I do need to get back to work…"

"Of course… Go ahead." Carol dismissed her before they both left into the ER lobby.

* * *

"All of the cheese came off…" Ella said with a small frown as she looked down at her pizza.

"It's alright sweetheart." Elizabeth said gently as she helped her daughter replace the cheese on top of her slice of pizza.

"Do you want some Pepperoni?" Kate asked Ella with interest.

"No!" Ella protested loudly, startling Amanda in her mother's arms.

"Sweetie inside voice." Elizabeth reminded Ella as she gently rocked her other daughter. "If you don't want any of Kate's pepperoni how should you tell her that?"

"No thank you." Ella said happily as she took another bite out of her slice of pizza. She then proceeded to wipe the sauce off from her fingers onto her pink jeans.

"Ella, where is your napkin?" Her grandmother asked her pointedly.

Ella shrugged as she shoved another large bite of pizza into her mouth.

"Elizabeth your daughter…" Isabelle began.

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's her birthday. She's fine." She said sharply in her mother's direction.

"Elizabeth how was your day at work?" Charles asked as he joined the table.

"She didn't go to work Charles." Isabelle said in a manner that felt like she was telling on her.

Elizabeth looked at her mother pointedly.

"Are you alright?" Her father asked her in concern.

Elizabeth nodded. "I just needed a small break. I'm fine." She assured him quietly. It was then that Amanda began vigorously fussing in her arms. "Hello sweetie… Are you hungry?" She asked her gently as she leaned over gently to get a blanket from the diaper bag at her feet.

"Elizabeth…" Her mother began to speak.

"Before you freak out I'm getting out a blanket." She stopped her mother's protests as she began feeding her daughter.

"Mummy can we go get ice cream?" Ella asked her hopefully.

"Do you really think you can handle that in addition to all that pizza you just ate?" She asked her teasingly.

"Yes yes yes!" Ella insisted along with Tess and Kate.

"Tess… Kate…" Doug began to warn. "We'd have to ask your mom before we get ice cream before dinner. There's no need to pressure Elizabeth into letting Ella have ice cream before dinner."

"It's fine." Elizabeth said with a small smile. "Ella how about we go get ice cream after we have dinner tonight?" She suggested to her daughter.

"Okay." Ella allowed thoughtfully. "When is Rachel going to be done with school?"

"She'll be out in about an hour… If we head over there soon we can pick her up." Elizabeth told her daughter. "Then maybe you can get her to help you ride your bike when we get home." She suggested as she finished feeding Amanda and readjusted her shirt.

After the bill was paid and everyone had made their way out to the parking lot to figure out where they were heading to next.

"Can we pleaaaase go get Rachel?" Ella was begging excitedly, while Kate and Tess were complaining to their Dad about wanting to go home.

Elizabeth took in a deep breath. "Alright, Ella how about you go to Rachel's school with Grandma and Grandpa and I'll take Amanda home so she can have a nap." She suggested.

"You don't want to come with me?" Ella said, batting her eyelashes trying to convince her mother to come with her.

Elizabeth sighed. "Mother would you be willing to take Amanda home and make sure she gets a nap in?" She asked as she turned toward Isabelle.

"Of course." Her mother replied.

"Make sure she's facing up and check on her a couple of times. She can roll over onto her stomach but she has a little bit of a hard time rolling back over." Elizabeth began to instruct her mother as she started to lock Amanda's carrier into the car her parents would be taking. "Also make sure she doesn't have more than one small flannel blanket on her or else she'll get too hot and overheat…"

"We know Elizabeth…" Her mother reminded her kindly.

"And if she gets fussy she may just be teething. There are some teething rings on the top shelf of the fridge." Elizabeth instructed. "You already know the emergency numbers from the last time you were here…"

"Amanda will be fine." Isabelle assured her. "I don't understand how you possibly leave her with a caregiver on a daily basis for work when you can't even trust her with her grandmother."

"Mother…" Elizabeth warned tensely. "Please don't."

"It is a valid point Elizabeth." Her mother continued. "She's going to be fine with me."

"I trust you alright?" Elizabeth replied harshly, clearly losing her patience.

"Elizabeth you don't need to react so…" Her mother began to criticize her again.

Elizabeth snapped her head over so she was staring at her mother. "Mother, leave me alone." She replied angrily. "Just make sure Amanda gets a nap. We'll be home with Rachel in a while." She told her as she slammed the door shut as her father climbed into the car. Elizabeth quickly made her way over to her car and buckled Ella into her car seat.

"Hey…" Doug said gently as he approached from behind her.

Elizabeth took in a deep breath as she shook her head, trying to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to snap…"

Doug shook his head as he gently pulled her into a hug. "Are you alright?" He asked her quietly.

"No." Elizabeth replied honestly. "I have no idea how I'm going to get through the next year of my life… So for now I'm just taking it one day at a time."

"If there's anything Carol and I can do…" Doug began.

"Just being here." Elizabeth stopped him. "I honestly don't understand how you picked up everything from Seattle and just moved down here."

"Elizabeth you were there for Carol, we're going to be here for you." Doug replied. After a few moments of comfortable silence Doug spoke again. "So we'll see you tonight for dinner at your house?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yeah… A lot of people from the hospital will be there so it should be fun."

"Don't work yourself too hard." Doug reminded her.

"It's worth it for her." Elizabeth replied with a small smile as she climbed into the car and mouthed a small thank you toward her friend.

_**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter… I kind of just spent like four hours writing so there's another chapter getting posted right after this one which I originally had as one long chapter. After that chapter there will be one more before the Epilogue. It's incredibly possible I'll finish this story this weekend so I hope you enjoy whatever I can manage to post this weekend. Please Review!**_


	35. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Elizabeth was in the kitchen with Carol finishing getting dinner ready while everyone else sat in the living room.

"Ella what are you most excited for at school?" Haleh asked her with a smile.

"Reading." Ella replied promptly, not looking up from her game of Chutes and Ladders she was playing with Rachel, Kate, and Tess.

Haleh smiled at the young girl's response, she was clearly her father's daughter.

There was chatter around the living room between those that were there. Haleh was talking to Susan about Ella and Mark's similarities while Doug and Charles were discussing the differences between American and English medical practices.

"Dinner's ready!" Elizabeth called from the kitchen and everyone made their way to the dining room.

Everyone quickly sat around the table, Tess and Kate sitting next to their parents, Elizabeth sitting down between Carol and Ella, with Rachel on the right side of Ella. Everyone else filled in the empty seats and they began to pass around the dishes of food.

"Ella you need to eat a little bit of Chicken." Rachel reminded her as she tried to pass up on being served any.

"I don't want any." Ella argued as she pouted when Rachel placed a piece of chicken on her plate.

"Well you have to eat it anyway." Rachel replied as she passed the chicken to Susan.

"You can't make me it's my birthday." Ella argued with a pouted lip.

"Ella!" Elizabeth snapped suddenly.

Ella looked over at her mother, never having heard such an angry voice from her before. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Elizabeth shook her head as she scooted out her chair. "I'm so sorry…" She said under her breath as she took Amanda from her high chair. "Excuse me." She said quietly as she quickly moved out of the room and up the stairs.

The room sat in a hushed murmur for several moments, Rachel trying to console Ella while the others talked about what had just happened.

"I'll go check on her." Carol said quietly as she got up from the table.

She quickly made her way up the stairs and down the hall to Elizabeth's room. "Elizabeth?" She asked her quietly as she knocked gently on the door. After knocking several more times and not receiving a response she opened the door slowly. Amanda was in the playpen just inside the door. "Hey sweetie." Carol greeted her quietly. "Can you tell me where your mommy is?" Amanda gurgled in response before Carol heard the distinct sound of vomiting coming from the bathroom.

Carol quickly got up from her squatting position and moved to the bathroom. "Hey…" Carol comforted her softly. "You're alright…" She promised her as she leaned back into her arms.

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth apologized again.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Carol assured her. "Do you need to go to the doctor?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "This happens sometimes." She said quietly. When Carol gave her a questioning look she tried to explain. "When you fall in love with someone and you depend on that someone for so much of the strength you have, when that someone is gone… Sometimes you just feel weak." She said quietly. "I'm literally sick because I can't handle myself without him…"

"Hey…" Carol said gently. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Sorry doesn't bring Mark back… Nothing brings Mark back."

It was then that there was a knock at the door. "Elizabeth?" Rachel's voice game through the door. "Elizabeth are you alright?"

"Come in Rachel." Elizabeth said softly.

Rachel opened the door and made her way so she was sitting down next to Elizabeth and Carol.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked her quietly.

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Are you sick?" Rachel asked nervously. "If you need me to I can take some time off from school. I just finished my practical's my next semester is elective." She offered immediately.

Elizabeth shook her head once again. "I'm not sick Rachel you don't need to do that." She said quietly. "I just am feeling incredibly lost right now and I don't know what to do."

"Maybe you should take some time off from work to figure stuff out…" Rachel suggested quietly.

Carol grimaced, knowing that while Rachel was honestly trying to help, she wasn't.

"I just need… To get through this year." Elizabeth admitted.

Rachel sat quietly for a moment. "You yelled at Ella?" She asked quietly.

Elizabeth grimaced as she leaned her head back against the wall. "Is she okay?"

"She's scared." Rachel admitted. "And honestly… so am I…"

"I didn't mean to yell at her. I'm just at the end of my rope and I need someone to pick up some of the slack." Elizabeth said quietly. "But you shouldn't have to and you don't have to do that."

"Elizabeth…"

"Sometimes… I need time to deal with the fact that Mark is gone… And that's an extremely painful thing for me to deal with." Elizabeth cut her off. "And Ella, as you know, is the spitting image of her father. She has his nose, his eyes, his jawline, his ridiculous ears…"

"His stupid smile." Rachel added with a smirk.

Elizabeth nodded. "Today is a day he would have wanted to be with her for. Her first birthday he was on emergency call and was at work all day… Her second birthday we were separated." She admitted. "When Ella and I moved back in, the first thing he promised her was that he would be here for her third birthday and that they would go out to the harbor to see all of the boats…"

Rachel sat quietly for several minutes. "Then let's go." She said suddenly as she stood up.

Elizabeth looked up at her, a questioning look in her eyes.

"Come on." Rachel said as she held her hand out to her.

"Rachel what…" Elizabeth asked as Carol stood as well.

"Rachel's right." Carol pointed out.

"What?" Elizabeth asked again.

"Let's take Ella to the harbor." Rachel said with a smile. "We'll take her to see the boats and maybe if we call Carter we can go out on his boat with everyone."

Elizabeth looked at her in disbelief. "It wouldn't mean anything to Ella… There's no way she remembers this…"

"Ella's smart, and she remembers a lot more about Dad than you give her credit for." Rachel pointed out. "Give this to yourself if not to Ella."

"Alright." Elizabeth caved as Rachel and Carol helped her up. "Let's go to the harbor."

* * *

Elizabeth smiled down at her daughter on her lap. Everyone was loading up into Carter's boat at the harbor and Ella had just snuggled into Elizabeth's lap. "Are you excited?" She asked her daughter as Rachel sat down next to them with Amanda in a wrap around her body.

"Yes." Ella said with a huge smile. "Daddy promised me we'd go see the boats, but we're going on a boat to see the bigger boats."

Elizabeth took in a deep breath and she held Ella just a bit tighter.

"Ow mummy!" Ella exclaimed as she tried to wiggle her arms out.

Elizabeth immediately loosened her grip. "Sorry sweetie." She said gently as she leaned over to place a kiss into her daughter's hair.

Everyone was finally seated and ready to go so Carter backed the boat out of the harbor and soon they were speeding across the water, leaving waves behind them as they sped into the sunset.

Ella sat contently in her mother's arms for a rather long time before she looked up at her. "Mummy can we sing Daddy's rainbow song?" She asked her hopefully.

Elizabeth could immediately feel tears coming to her eyes that she tried to hold back. "Honey…"

"I don't have my Ukulele with me." Rachel tried to cover for her, seeing that she was clearly struggling.

"There's a guitar below deck." Carter suggested from the driver's seat.

"Pullleeaassseee?" Ella asked desperately.

Elizabeth finally nodded at Rachel who then gently took the wrap off from herself and gently gave Amanda to Carol who was seated next to her. "I'll be right back." Rachel said before she quickly went down the stairs to find the guitar.

Several minutes later she came back up to the upper deck and she sat the guitar case down and opened it up. "Alright Miss Ella." Rachel motioned for her to sit down next to her on the floor. "Do you remember it?" She asked her as she put a guitar pick between her teeth.

"Yes." Ella replied confidently as she sat down across from Rachel.

"Alright… Are you ready?" She asked her with a smile as she positioned her fingers for the first chord. Ella nodded again. "Alright… One… Two… Three…" She began before she began playing the chords.

Rachel began singing the introduction Oooh's and Ella joined in after a few bars, struggling slightly to keep up, but refusing to give up. The two of them kept singing.

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Way up high  
And the dreams that you dreamed of  
Once in a lullaby ii ii iii o  
Somewhere over the rainbow  
Blue birds fly  
And the dreams that you dreamed of  
Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh  
Someday I'll wish upon a star  
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me  
Where trouble melts like lemon drops  
High above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me oh  
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly  
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I? _

It was when they reached the next verse that Elizabeth stood up and sat down next to them. Ella curled up into her lap as she began to sing along with them.

_Well I see trees of green and  
Red roses too,__  
I'll watch them bloom for me and you  
And I think to myself  
What a wonderful world_

Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white  
And the brightness of day  
I like the dark and I think to myself  
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  
Are also on the faces of people passing by  
I see friends shaking hands  
Saying, "How do you do?"  
They're really saying, I... I love you  
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,

_They'll learn much more  
Than we'll know  
And I think to myself  
What a wonderful world _

By that point in the song tears were freely flowing down Elizabeth and Rachel's faces but they weren't stopping.

_Someday I'll wish upon a star,__  
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me  
Where trouble melts like lemon drops  
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me  
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high  
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?  
_

Ella snuggled into Elizabeth's arms as much as she could as her mother and sister finished singing the final oooh's. Elizabeth leaned over slowly to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Ella sweetie?" She asked her softly after a few minutes.

"Mummy?" Her voice wavered as she responded.

"When Amanda gets older just like you will you help me do something?" She proposed.

"What?" Ella asked her, incredibly interested.

"Well Amanda doesn't know Daddy's rainbow song yet." Elizabeth pointed out quietly. "Will you help me teach it to her?"

Ella looked up at her importantly. After several moments of silence she spoke. "Yes."

Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "Ella Jessica Greene, you are a wonderful, beautiful, magical little girl."

"And you're a magical mummy." Ella replied as she kissed her nose.

"You are so your father." Elizabeth said with a smirk. "Now let's watch the sunset and enjoy the rest of your day." She said as she pulled her into her lap and rested her chin in her head gently. "Happy Birthday Ella." She whispered under her breath as Carter once again started the engine and the boat continued its journey around the harbor.

_**Author's Note: ACK IM SO SORRY I HAD TO! Somewhere Over The Rainbow still ruins me… Still… Ugh I literally cried writing this… IM SO SORRY I HOPE YOU LIKED IT ANYWAY… PLEASE DON'T LEAVE MEEEE! (Reviews Are Awesome Even When They're Just Emotional Trauma) **_


	36. Scars

Elizabeth had just walked in the front door with Amanda's carrier and she set the mail on the counter along with Amanda's carrier, knowing that going through it would simply reveal huge bills that she knew there was no way she could pay this month. She took Amanda out of her carrier and positioned her on her hip as she began walking around the kitchen. She was debating between sitting down and sorting through the mail and going upstairs to take a long hot shower when the front door opened again.

"Ella you're soaking wet, don't get the foyer wet, go straight up to the bathroom and I'll bring you a change of clothes." Rachel's voice rang from the foyer.

Elizabeth could then hear Ella's small feet pattering up the stairs and Rachel setting down her soccer bag in her bedroom.

"Good afternoon Rachel!" Elizabeth called from the kitchen.

"I take it you heard that then." Rachel said as she leaned against the door frame.

"Yep." Elizabeth replied with a smirk. "Go get her dried off… I'm assuming you encountered some sprinklers at the park?"

Rachel nodded. "She simply can't be stopped once she's seen them." She said with a smile.

"Alright… I'm assuming you're going to want to head to the library to study tonight?" Elizabeth asked as she set Amanda down in her high chair and moved over to the fridge.

"I was actually thinking about staying here tonight." Rachel said as she grabbed a carrot from the bottom drawer of the fridge.

"Any reason?" Elizabeth asked as she pulled some chicken from the fridge as well as some tofu.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm not really into the research I've been working on… And I haven't spent a night with Ella practically all summer. I just need a break from doing all this work."

"You realize Ella's upstairs probably making a mess of your bathroom?" Elizabeth pointed out with a smirk.

"Dangit!" She exclaimed before running up the stairs to assist her younger sister.

Elizabeth began preparing two pans to make stir-fry for dinner. Soon she had both of them simmering on the stove and she moved back over to the pile of mail on the counter, making a quick detour to give Amanda a teething ring from the fridge. She quickly flipped through it and separated the bills from the ads. She was about to start opening the bills to see where they stood that month when Ella came running into the kitchen.

"Mummy can I have a bubble bath later tonight?" She asked her hopefully.

Elizabeth sighed. "How about tomorrow night? Tomorrow's not going to be a night before a work day for Mummy."

"But today's Amanda's bath day! I want a bath too!" Ella whined as she sat down at a chair at the kitchen table.

Elizabeth looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "When has that ever worked on me?"

Ella pouted back, but didn't persist.

"Alright Miss Amanda it is your bath night, so why don't we do that while we wait for dinner so that you can go right to sleep after dinner." She said as she pulled the baby bathtub out from under the sink, and placed it in the large kitchen sink.

"Can I help mummy?" Ella asked hopefully.

Elizabeth sighed. "As long as you promise not to make any messes." She replied with regret as she finished filling the bathtub. "Why don't you go upstairs and get one of your bathtub toys for Amanda to play with during her bath?" She suggested as she gently began to undress Amanda.

"Okay!" She said enthusiastically before running up the stairs.

Elizabeth was trying to get through the bath as quickly as possible and she had just started washing Amanda's hair when Ella came back, groaning under the weight of all the bath toys she had decided she would bring.

"I couldn't decide mummy." Ella said as she dropped them to the ground, causing an almighty crash that caused Amanda to squirm violently and get some shampoo in her eye.

Elizabeth gently rinsed off the crying baby and pulled her out of the tub. "It's okay… You're okay… I know it was scary… You're okay…" She comforted her gently as she wrapped her in a towel. It was then that she raised an eyebrow and looked over at Ella.

"Oops." She said quietly before looking down to examine her feet rather carefully.

"Clean up your toys and then go see if Rachel wants to watch a show with you until dinner." Elizabeth instructed quietly as she continued to rock Amanda, who was finally starting to calm down.

Ella quickly gathered up the toys and ran up the stairs.

"Are you doing alright in there?" She asked as she looked into the fluffy green towel. She received a happy gurgle in response. "That's what I thought. You're okay, just a little frightened is all." She said as she made her way up the stairs to the nursery. She quickly picked out an onesie for Amanda to wear and put it on her before gently placing her in her playpen. "Don't have too much fun without me." She teased as she turned on the baby monitors and clipped one to a pocket in her pants. She quietly closed the door, hoping that Amanda might get in a small nap as she hadn't gotten one earlier that day.

"Mummy!" Ella exclaimed excitedly as she ran out of her room.

"Shhhh." Elizabeth quieted her as she squatted down to her level. "What do you need sweetie?"

"I found my teddy bear!" She told her proudly as she held up a white and purple bear that had been lost many months ago.

Elizabeth smiled at her innocence. "That's great." She assured her. "Why don't you go have a tea party with her? I'm sure she's missed that."

"Okay!" Ella replied importantly before going back into her room.

Elizabeth stood back up and went down the stairs. She checked on the pans that were frying and stirred them a few times before sitting down once again with the mail. "Gas… electricity… water… Rachel's tuition… Ella and Amanda's daycare… Medical…Wait…" She said aloud as she flipped through the envelope. However she was taken off guard by the rather large size of the envelope for the medical bills. "What…" She asked as she carefully opened the envelope and several sheets of paper slipped out, none of them resembling the standard bill form she had been receiving for months. She pulled out the one that looked like a letter and began to read.

_ Elizabeth Corday-Greene, _

_ We are pleased to be able to inform you that due to grants given to the hospital on behalf of hospital staff in need of monetary compensation for unexpected medical expenses your outstanding fees have been paid-in-full. In addition to those charges being covered there is a check enclosed for 15,000 dollars, the standard reimbursement for hospital staff who have been paying their medical bills out of pocket. _

_ Thank you so much for your dedicated services to Chicago County General Medical Center and we hope to have you working for us for many years to come._

_Robert Romano, Chief of Staff, Chicago County General Medical Center_

_Gregory Hubert, Medical Grants Department, Chicago County Medical Center_

Elizabeth looked at what she had read in disbelief. She read through it several more times, while dinner began to burn on the stove behind her.

"Elizabeth!" Rachel called from her bedroom. "Something smells like its burning!" When she received no reply she quickly got up and moved to the kitchen. "Elizabeth!" She cried before moving over to turn off the stove. "Can you not smell that?" She asked as she moved the pans off from the stovetop. "Elizabeth?" She asked as she moved over to sit down next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Elizabeth said in disbelief. "Absolutely nothing's wrong…" She said before handing Rachel the letter and flipping through the rest of the envelope.

"Elizabeth…" Rachel said, partially in disbelief and partially exuding with happiness. "How did this…"

"I have no idea." Elizabeth said quietly as she took the letter back. "I didn't even know that this was a program at the hospital… And Robert wouldn't have done this by himself…"

"Elizabeth does it really matter who…?" Rachel asked her gently as she sat down at the stool next to her.

"Of course it matters!" Elizabeth replied indignantly. "Someone thought I couldn't handle it and so they found some anonymous way to tell me that!"

Rachel cocked her eyebrow. "Or maybe someone thought you didn't deserve to handle all of the financial strains you've been dealing with in addition to everything else." She suggested quietly.

Before Elizabeth could protest there was an almighty crash heard from upstairs. The sound of Amanda crying rang through the baby monitor resting on Elizabeth's hip while Ella's cries could be heard echoing down the stairs.

"I'll get Amanda, you check on Ella." Rachel said quickly as she got up and they both ran up the stairs.

"Ella sweetheart what's happened?" Elizabeth asked as she ran to her daughter's bedroom. Ella was looking down at a long cut along her arm and crying on the floor. "Sweetheart… How did this happen?" She asked her quietly as she picked up a blanket that was sitting on the floor and used it to begin applying pressure to the bleeding cut. That's when she saw Ella's tea set box, open, with nearly all the cups shattered into pieces. "Oh sweetheart." She said softly. "Did you drop your tea set?"

Ella nodded.

"Were you trying to get the cups out that weren't broken?" She asked her gently as she picked her up and pulled her into her arms.

Ella nodded again.

"Alright Ella, I'm sorry but you're going to need stitches." Elizabeth told her softly.

Ella shook her head. "I don't want to go to the hospital."

"Sweetie… I know you don't like going there but you really have no reason to be scared." Elizabeth tried to comfort her daughter.

Ella shook her head violently. "I don't want to go like Daddy." She whimpered softly.

"Hey…hey…" Elizabeth said gently as she gently moved around the room, packing a few things for Ella in a backpack. "You're going to be just fine. I promise nothing's going to happen to you today other than having your arm stop hurting." She promised her softly.

"What happened?" Rachel asked as she brought in a whimpering Amanda wrapped in a blanket.

"Ella's tea set broke and she got a pretty nasty cut. I'm going to have to take her to the ER to get it stitched up." Elizabeth said, visibly starting to buckle under the pressure.

"Here." Rachel said as she sat down on Ella's bed and set Amanda in one arm. "Put Ella here and I can hold the pressure." She offered. Elizabeth grateful for her offer placed Ella next to Rachel and went back to ensuring she had everything she needed for Ella and Amanda.

"Hey Ella." Rachel said with a small smile as she looked at her sister. "I bet you'll get a really cool scar, just like mine." She said, barely over a whisper.

Elizabeth looked over at her with a confused look. "Yours?" She asked distractedly.

Ella nodded. "Rachel has cool scars on her thighs from when she was sad."

Elizabeth looked over at the two of them with wide eyes.

Rachel bit her lip. "It's okay Ella she doesn't need to…" She tried to stop her younger sister.

"Rachel said that her scars are because she got better and she's happy." Ella said importantly.

Elizabeth looked at Rachel sadly. She considered her options and decided to just move forward for the moment. "Alright let's go." She said as she picked up Amanda and they all carefully headed to the car.

* * *

"Ella you're being very brave." Rachel informed her sister with a smile as she gently bounced Amanda in her lap.

Elizabeth was finishing Ella's stitches, nearing seventeen of them.

"Did your scars get stitches?" Ella asked her with interest.

Rachel shook her head honestly. "I didn't tell Elizabeth when I needed stitches, which wasn't a good thing for me to do. So it took them a lot longer to heal and get better."

"Oh." Ella replied, trying to understand her meaning.

Elizabeth set down the tools she was using and sighed. "Alright Ella you're going to be just fine." She said as she wiped her hands across her face. "I'd like to talk to Rachel for a minute before we leave, would you like to spend some time with Abby and Haleh while Rachel and I talk?"

Ella nodded in earnest.

Nearly ten minutes later, after situating Ella and Amanda with the nurses, Elizabeth nearly dragged Rachel into her office.

"You cut yourself?" Elizabeth asked her after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Look… Elizabeth… Ella doesn't know that…" Rachel tried to explain.

Elizabeth shook her head. "How am I supposed to know that!? She knows why you have scars on your thighs! You've made her think that scars are something to be proud of! She's going to want more because of you! What were you thinking!? She's never going to understand the danger of things like what happened today! This is your fault!"

"HEY!" Rachel called out after letting her go on for a few minutes. "Would you rather that all of those cuts we're still bleeding?" She asked her harshly.

"Rachel it's not like that and you know it." Elizabeth replied, clearly exasperated.

"Do you want to know why Ella knows about my scars?" Rachel asked after a long awkward silence. Elizabeth looked at her expectantly. "Because she found me just before I was going to do it again." She admitted quietly.

"Rachel…?" Elizabeth asked her gently, unsure if she was angry or hurt.

"I know… why on earth would I want that? You've given me so much, my life has changed so much for the better. And I'll never be able to thank you enough for that, but I'm so broken. I have no one in my life who is honestly there for me no matter what." Rachel said softly. "My headmaster called me down to the office last week… She told me that you hadn't made my tuition payment last month and that if it wasn't paid by the end of this month I'd be unenrolled."

"Rachel… I'm sorry… I just missed the payment date by a few days. I've paid it…" Elizabeth tried desperately to stop her from spiraling downward.

Rachel shook her head. "So… I just… I quit." Rachel admitted, unable to look up at Elizabeth from where she had sat down. Tears were streaming down her face. "I haven't been going to school, I've just taken the El to the library every day and I'm studying to get a GED."

"Rachel…"

"I didn't want you to have to pay for it anymore. It's not fair to you. You told Carol that… Why shouldn't I know it?" She asked her painfully.

"Rachel Greene." Elizabeth cut her off. "I'm sorry you overheard what you did. That wasn't fair of me. And it's not fair for you to lose out on an Education you've worked so hard for."

"When I turn eighteen I'm going to try to start at the community college." Rachel said softly. "It's not what I wanted to begin with… but it's better than nothing."

Elizabeth shook her head before crouching down so she was at Rachel's level. "Rachel I know I suck at being a mom. I honestly am horrible at it and I don't even do the word justice, but you're one of my daughters. This isn't what you want and I'm not going to let you do this."

"My mom…" Rachel began again quietly.

"Rachel… your mother did some wonderful and terrible things for you in the past. But you know she doesn't consider you her daughter… And you don't deserve that." Elizabeth said gently. "You're part of my family Rachel and you can look at me as your mother."

"Elizabeth…" Rachel said softly. "I don't want your pity… I just… need you to understand that I'm not trying to hurt or confuse Ella. I just told her honestly how I got those scars."

"I'm sorry Rachel…" Elizabeth apologized honestly.

"It's alright. Let's just go home." Rachel said with a smile before the two of them got up and headed down the stairs.

"Rachel look!" Ella said excitedly as she pointed to the pink gauze Abby had put on top of Ella's stitches to prevent her from picking at them.

"Wow!" Rachel said, her eyes lighting up with a bit too much excitement for it to be entirely real. "Who gave you that super cool band-aid?"

"Abby!" Ella replied happily as Abby gave her a high-five.

"Hey Ella do you want to get stitches again?" Rachel asked her quietly.

Ella shook her head vigorously. "It hurt a lot. I just want one scar. No more." Ella insisted.

Rachel smiled at her innocence. "That's good. Keep it that way."

"Mummy can we go home?" Ella asked, beginning to sound a bit tired.

Elizabeth nodded as she placed a sleeping Amanda into her carrier. "Let's go home girls." She said softly to avoid waking Amanda. Just before they left Elizabeth made eye contact with Rachel and mouthed _Thank You._

_**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this took such a long time to update! I've honestly had this written for a long time but my old computer went through a tragic failure called both the motherboard and hard drive failed… So that was super fun!? Anyway all that's left of this for now is the Epilogue which I'm going to upload hopefully today! Please Review!**_


	37. Epilouge

****Five Years Later****

"Mum have you seen my soccer bag?" Ella asked as she ran down the stairs, jumping down the last four, with a smooth landing on the main hallway.

"Did you check the van?" Elizabeth called back from the kitchen where she was making lunches for her daughters.

"Why would it be in the van?" Ella asked as she slid across the hardwood floors into the kitchen easily due to her socks.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I thought I said not to do that anymore." She chided her.

Ella bit her lip. "…Really? I don't remember that…" She lied awkwardly.

"Stop making up excuses and go check the van." Elizabeth said with a smirk. "Amanda!" She called up the stairs as she watched her older daughter pull on a pair of boots over her socks.

"What?" Amanda asked from the top of the stairs.

"Get down here we're going to be late." Elizabeth replied as she closed both of the lunchboxes sitting on the counter.

"But I can't find Mark!" Amanda replied, sounded fairly exasperated.

Elizabeth sighed. Rachel and Ella had given Amanda a teddy bear for her second birthday whom Amanda had promptly named Mark. "Ask Ella to check the car while she's out there!" Elizabeth suggested.

"My soccer bag isn't in the car!" Ella reported anxiously as she slammed the front door closed behind her.

"Then check the closets!" Elizabeth called to her. "Amanda we're going to have to find Mark after school and work today!" Elizabeth called to her youngest daughter.

"I think I might have left my bag in Rachel's car yesterday." Ella said, as she once again slid into the kitchen, this time clearly out of breath.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and pressed both of her palms firmly into the countertop. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Alright, call Rachel and ask her if she can check her car for it. If it's there I'll try to swing by her Apartment to get it during my lunch break then I can bring it to the school." Elizabeth planned aloud.

"Yes mum." Ella replied before grabbing the phone from the receiver.

Amanda slowly made her way into the kitchen, tears streaming down her pink cheeks. "Mummy I want Mark." She said sadly as she looked at her mother for comfort.

"Amanda sweetheart." Elizabeth said comfortingly as she picked up her small framed daughter. "I know you want Mark but we're going to have to go to school before we can look for him." She told her gently.

"Mum Rachel says that she's gonna bring my bag by the school for me." Ella informed her mother as she hung up the phone.

"She doesn't need to…" Elizabeth started to protest.

Ella shook her head. "She said she was going to stay in town for the weekend." She informed her. "She asked me to see if you could pick up some peanut butter."

Elizabeth sighed. "Alright we've got to get going… now. Or both of you will be late."

"Mark." Amanda whimpered into the crook of her mother's neck.

"We're gonna find him Manda." Ella assured her younger sister as she put her lunch in her backpack.

"Ella 'gonna' is not a word." Elizabeth reminded her daughter.

"Maybe it's not in England but it definitely is in Second Grade in Chicago." Ella replied with a smirk as she swung her backpack over both of her shoulders.

"Alright miss sassy." Elizabeth said with a smirk as she adjusted Amanda so she was perched on her hip, and picked up Amanda's schoolbag. "Let's get going."

* * *

"Haleh!" Ella screeched as she slid down the hallway in the ER, once again in just her socks.

"Ella Jessica Greene!" Susan scolded as she grabbed onto the back of her shirt. "How many times do we have to tell you that sock slides are dangerous?"

Ella continued to move her feet in an attempt to run away, but her socks only caused her to slide backwards continuously. She eventually gave up and stood to face Susan. "I'm sorry." She apologized sheepishly.

Susan raised her eyebrows in suspicion at the young girl. "Really?"

Ella nodded in earnest. "I'm sorry I shouldn't sock slide, especially not in the ER."

"Alright. " Susan admitted her. "Your mom just got pulled into an emergency appendectomy, so Rachel's going to come pick you and Amanda up."

"Yay!" Ella exclaimed excitedly before running into the lounge to alert her younger sister. "Hey Amanda!" She began excitedly before she saw Amanda crying on the couch next to Carol. "What's the matter?" Ella asked her gently as she sat down next to her younger sister. "Manda?" She asked her quietly as she put her arms around Amanda's shoulders.

Carol looked with sympathy down at the five year old. "Amanda got into a bit of trouble with Doctor Carter when a trauma rolled in and she was in his way. He yelled at her pretty loudly, but she's not hurt. Just a little scared."

"Are you okay?" Ella asked her little sister.

Amanda shook her head.

"Okay use your words…" Ella tried to remind her sister.

"NO!" She yelled angrily before she tried to get up off the couch and run.

"Alright-y…" Carol said with a grunt as she carefully wrapped an arm around Amanda's waist causing her to be unable to run away. "Amanda Doctor Ross asked you to stay in here so you don't get scared again, can you do that?"

"NO!" Amanda replied as she angrily squirmed.

It was then that Rachel came into the lounge. Ella immediately had a huge grin on her face before she ran up to her sister and jumped up onto her shoulders and held on.

"Whoa there monkey." Rachel said with a smile as she swung Ella around so that she could hug her from the front. "Are you ever going to get some meat on those bones?" She asked her jokingly as she carefully detached the gangly eight year old from herself and set her down.

"Mum says I look like Daddy." Ella said proudly.

Rachel nodded. "Dad was pretty small himself." She affirmed. She then turned her attention to the squirming five year old on the couch. "Alright Miss Amanda, how are we doing today?" She asked as she squatted down so she was at face level with her.

Amanda didn't speak but she lunged forward into Rachel's arms and clung to her tightly.

"Can we go get pizza?" Ella asked her hopefully as Rachel stood up with Amanda in her arms.

"We need to go home so we can start getting Amanda ready for bed." Rachel replied with a small smile. "How about we order some pizza out for dinner so that we can eat it at home?"

Ella nodded enthusiastically at this compromise. "Can it be pepperoni?" Ella asked hopefully.

"Well you and Mom like pepperoni, but Amanda and I don't, so how about half cheese half pepperoni?" Rachel offered as she gathered Amanda's and Ella's things from around the lounge.

"Okay." Ella agreed as she secured her backpack on her shoulders.

"Thanks Carol." Rachel said with a grateful smile as the three of them left the lounge.

* * *

It was nearing eleven at night when Elizabeth quietly opened the front door and closed it quietly behind her. She quietly slipped off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea and scavenge some dinner.

Rachel heard Elizabeth come inside and she waited a few moments before joining her in the kitchen.

"Rachel." Elizabeth said with a smile as she headed over to hug her daughter. "So what exactly brings you out here?" She asked her curiously as she placed the tea kettle on the burner.

Rachel looked down at her hands awkwardly. "I just wanted to touch base. I haven't been around for a while and I just…"

"You are a horrible liar." Elizabeth said with a smirk.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I need a prescription…"

"For…?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes wide with interest.

Rachel bit on her lip. "Plan B?" She asked awkwardly.

Elizabeth's eyes softened considerably in understanding. "Sweetie…" She said softly as she pulled her into a hug. "How long?"

"Uhm… It was last night…" Rachel said awkwardly.

Elizabeth nodded. "Alright tomorrow morning. There's a window of seventy-two hours for it to be effective."

Rachel nodded.

"Are you alright Rachel?" Elizabeth asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Rachel sighed. "I just… being an adult?" She said softly. "It's very hard… and very confusing… and I'm not sure that I'm the best judge of how to…"

"Rachel you're a wonderful person. I know stuff is hard for you but you'll make it all work out in the end." Elizabeth assured her.

"Mummy?" Amanda asked as she entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Oh sweetheart did we wake you?" Elizabeth said gently as she picked her daughter up. Amanda automatically nestled her head so it was resting on her mother's collarbone and shook her head. "Did you have a nightmare?" Amanda nodded.

"Nightmares?" Rachel asked as she looked concernedly at her younger sister. "When did Amanda start having nightmares?"

"She's scared of lots of things." Elizabeth said quietly as she ran her fingers through her daughter's wild curls. "She just doesn't understand Mark. She's very much in love with the idea of him being her father, but she's also very…"

"She feels abandoned?"

"Yes." Elizabeth confirmed as she felt her daughter's head become heavier on her chest, signaling that she had fallen asleep. "I don't really know how to explain things to the girls anymore. I'm spending a lot of time working and not enough time taking care of them."

"I was actually…." Rachel began awkwardly. "I was wondering if I could… I'm thinking of taking a semester off. I'm about to start my hospital rotations and I need some time to figure out how I want those years to play out. If I took a semester off could I move back in?"

"Of course." Elizabeth said without hesitation. "You're always welcome in our home."

"Even though I'm clearly still irresponsible and probably a bad influence on Amanda and Ella?" Rachel questioned with a smirk.

"Of course." Elizabeth assured her. "You're my daughter and you'll always be welcome here."

"Dad would have laughed if he knew you were still putting up with my crap." Rachel said with a smirk.

"He would have stuck by you no matter what had happened." Elizabeth assured her. "You're always going to be his baby girl."

Rachel nodded as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry to be such a sudden burden."

"You're not a burden." Elizabeth said assuringly. "You will always be welcome here."

The two sat in comfortable silence for several minutes.

"Mum Amanda's not in her room." Ella said as she entered the kitchen.

"I know sweetheart, I've got her." Elizabeth assured her daughter as she clambered up onto Elizabeth's lap.

"Can we all go to the bean park tomorrow?" Ella asked her hopefully.

"Of course." Elizabeth confirmed. "I'm going to stop at the hospital quickly in the morning to sort out a few things and then we'll spend tomorrow in the park as a family alright?"

Ella nodded excitedly.

"Alright now it's time for you to get back to bed." Elizabeth said as she gently coaxed her off from her lap and she gently adjusted Amanda so that she could be carried up the stairs. "Well c'mon then." She ushered her daughter up the stairs.

"Thank you Elizabeth." Rachel said suddenly.

Elizabeth turned to her. "For what?" She asked in surprise.

"Everything." Rachel replied, meeting her eyes carefully.

Elizabeth nodded, her eyes full of compassion. "It was my pleasure."

_**Author's Note: Well… What? I don't… I finished? I don't know what to do with myself. This has been great and I've had so much fun writing it. I'm going to take a break from this story for a while to go write a Doctor Who (River/Eleven) Fic that I've been meaning to write for several months before I consider writing a sequel to this story. Thank you so much for reading! I can't even express how much it means to me!**_


End file.
